Mirrors
by Cassy-Kay
Summary: Ariana moves back to La Push and meets Embry, the imprint doesn't always take to their wolf right away...will Embry be able to win her over? And what happens when Ari starts acting strange? Embry & OC imprint story. Rated M for themes...no lemons.
1. Introduction&Preface

**Hello! New story! I know many have you have been waiting for my new story and I've kept my lips sealed, for the most part, but I now have the first chapter and a little bit of the plot perfected. (Hopefully.) This is my Embry imprint story. There will be a few twists so play close attention.**

**It will not be related to my Kim and Jared story Wonderland. I am also not sure how often I will be posting. I will post when I have stuff to write. Please review and let me know what you think, I've spent a while working on it, trying to make it perfect.**

**This is just a little background information on the imprint: The lovely Ariana.**

**Review, alert, favorite, message, you know I love all of you who do.**

**Lots of love, Cassy**

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><p>PrefaceBackground Information:

My name is Ariana Lynn Corsini, I am sixteen years old and one-hundred percent Quileute. I have many nicknames including: Aria, Ari, Ri-Ri, and A. I lived in La Push until I was eight but moved away due to my fathers work. We moved across the country to little Rhode Island. Now that I am sixteen my father has suddenly decided to move back. He is using the lame excuse that he wants my brother and me to get 'reconnected with our culture', whatever that means. I keep thinking there is more to it though…

I live with my father, Tony, my mother, Carrie, and my little brother, Collin. Collin is a freshman and a pain in the ass. All you have to know. I'm not to peeved about moving back to La Push, I miss my friends but change is good. I get bored easily and a change of scenery is nice. I intend to returning back to Rhode Island, or somewhere near there, to attend college after my senior year.

I am not a bad person but I wouldn't consider myself overly friendly or nice either. I am strong opinionated and like things to be my way but at the same time I am opened to others...if I like you. If I don't like you, then you got no chance in hell.

I have dark brown, almost black, hair that is long and slightly curly. I have the typical, tan, Quileute skin tone and dark brown eyes. I am about 5'8 and a little temperamental. I do know how to have fun and I am not so bad once you get to know me. I am also incredibly loyal to those who I am friends with.

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><p><strong>Remember, this is just and introduction...chapters will be better. I am putting the first chapter up now so that you don't have to wait for it. XX.<strong>


	2. Brothers&Roofs

**First chapter! Make sure you guys let me know what you think!(:**

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><p><em>I hate school.<em>

_Plain and simple._

School is bad on its own but new schools are even worse. New schools in different states, new schools in the middle of the year, new schools - okay, you get the point, they _suck_. And you might be wondering why I have an opinion like this? Well, my name is Ariana Corsini and I have just moved across the country to the rainiest place on Earth: La Push, Washington. I am one-hundred percent Quileute and lived here until I was eight, before my family and I moved to Rhode Island for my fathers work. Now, after eight lovely years in New England, my dad has decided for our family to move back. He wants us to be 'more connected with our culture'. _More connected with our culture, my ass._

I had friends, I had a boyfriend, I had a life. I didn't want to move away from everyone, I didn't want to go back to the small town I had left. And coming into a school partway through my junior year is _not _what I wanted. I pulled out my phone and texted my best friend from back at home as I walked down the hallway.

_HELP! It's raining and everyone's really tan!_ I texted Shana. Everyone was looking at me. I was the new girl. I was the bright shiny toy in three inch heals. I blended in though, looking like most of them with my dark hair and tan skin. The guys were looking like they were trying to decide if I was worthy of them, while the girls were trying to decide what type of person I was. My phone vibrated. _LOL. Like orange or tan-tan?_ I smirked. A lot of the girls in New England often spray tanned and they tended to look a little orange. _Tan-tan! I miss all my orange friends! ):_ I sent the quick reply before heading into the office. The lady looked up and did a double take, probably not recognizing me.

"Ariana Corsini, I'm new." I said, smiling sweetly at the lady. "It's so nice to meet you, I am Mrs. Force. I have your schedule here,-" She handed me a a couple pieces of paper. "-you will have to get this slip signed by all your teachers and brought back at the end of the day." She paused for a moment and looked around. "Don't you have a brother who-" The door slammed open and my little brother rushed inside.

"Sorry I'm late!" I rolled my eyes. "Brother, Mrs. Force. Mrs. Force, annoying little brother who I made walk to school." I said calmly, gesturing between the two people. The secretary seemed to find it funny while my brother, Collin, didn't seem to pleased. I rolled my eyes as she handed him the same papers and explained everything to him. I strolled out of the office and headed to my locker. 56, _hm...sounds like a good number._ I tried the combination and luckily it worked on the first try. I put a small stack of notebooks I had brought with me into the locker and my jacket. I grabbed one notebook and glanced at my schedule to see what my first class was. English. _Joy. _I checked my phone one last time.

_Aw, I miss you too Ri-ri! Call me later! XO._ I smiled, I really was going to miss her. _Will do! XX_. I put the phone in my purse and shut the locker heading off to English. I quickly figured out that if the room number was in the one-hundreds, the room was on the first floor and if it was in the two-hundreds, the room was on the second floor. I walked down the hallway, away from my locker, looking for room number 126. I found it and walked in. It was instantly silent as everyone watched me. I shot them a smile, letting them know I saw them staring, and most people looked away.

"I'm Ariana, I'm new." I told the teacher, handing him the slip of paper. He nodded his head scrutinizing me, probably trying to figure out what type of student I was. "Mr. Sanford...you can sit next to Jacob." He informed me. "Thanks." I said sweetly, turning away and rolling my eyes. A boy who I assumed was Jacob sent me a little wave. I walked over and sat down next to him. "Hey." I said, smiling. Jacob was hot. "I'm Ariana...or you can call me Ari." He grinned at me.

"Jacob...or you can call me Jake." He told me. I smirked. "So you're new, huh? Where'd you move from?" He asked. "Rhode Island, but I'm originally from here...lived here until I was eight." He nodded his head. I was being very nice to this guy...I was proud of myself. "Thats cool...big difference though, huh?" I nodded my head and opened the new notebook so I could take notes. The teacher started talking and, luckily, we would be starting a new book so I didn't have any work to make up. I doodled in the notebook and by the end of class I didn't have any notes. _Bummer._ Jake glanced over. "Look's promising…" He muttered causing me to smirk. The last five minutes of class we were given free time. Jake turned to me and snatched up my schedule, looking over it.

"We have math together at the end of the day." I nodded my head before the bell rang. I snatched my schedule and bag, gave him a little wave and walked out of the classroom. _History, lovely. _I walked into the room, got my pass signed and took a seat in the back, away from everyone's eyes.

"Hey. Ariana, right?" A voice next to me asked. I turned my head and did a once over of the guy sitting next to me. Kinda cute, not like Jacob though, he was smiling weirdly at me. I raised my eyebrows at him, slightly. "Yup." I responded before turning back to face front. "My name's Graham." He told me._ Well aren't we a bit persistent today?_ I nodded my head. _Like graham cracker? _"Thats nice." I responded, shooting him a fake smile. He didn't talk to me for the rest of the class period. _Why am I so damn lovely?_

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><p>School had been boring at best. I had made a couple of friends and had eaten lunch with them but by the end of the day, I just wanted to leave. I walked out to my car. Some people still stared but not as much. Most people had already had a good look at the new girl. <em>Ugh, new girl.<em> Out of any nickname that would have to be the worst.

"Aria?" A familiar voice questioned. Normally, I would have ignored the guy because I was not in the mood to play nice but only one person called me Aria besides my brother. "Quil?" I asked spinning around. We came face to...well...chest. I looked up. _Damn, he had gotten big_ and when I say big, I mean_ BIG._ He wrapped his arms tightly around me in a hug. "I've missed my favorite cousin!"

"That's great Quil and I would love it if you would say that in front of my brother but right now I am having a little trouble breathing." I chocked out. How had scrawny little Quil become big, muscular, I-could-eat-you-in-one-bite Quil? "Oops. Sorry." He apologized, putting me down. Once I could breathe again, he grabbed my hand and led me across the parking lot. "You've gotta meet my friends!" He said happily. I let him drag me along until we stopped at a group of Quil look-a-likes. Why are all the guys tall, buff, and gorgeous?

"This is my cousin Ariana. She's Collin's sister." He informed the big group of guys. I was not going to be introduced as Collin's sister, I was older then him for God's sake. I scowled at Quil, he noticed my disappointed expression and quickly backtracked to try to save his error. "But she isn't anything like him and is a complete individual and is the best person in the whole world?" They way he said it was almost questioning. I rolled my eyes while a few of the guys snickered.

"Nice save." I muttered while he grinned at me. I glanced around at the guys. I recognized a few of them from my classes. "Hey Ari." Jake said winking. I smirked. "Hey Jacob."

"Thank God!" A voice boomed from behind me, causing me to jump slightly. Collin threw an arm around me shoulder. "I thought you left without me, _again._" _Thinking about it_. Another boy came up with Collin grinning. I rolled my eyes at my annoying brother. "I would have if Quil hadn't forced me to come meet his friends."

"Ouch." One of the muscle guys said, putting his hand over his heart in mock hurt.

"I'm Brady." The boy who had walked up with Collin said, taking my hand in his. "Ariana." I introduced. He looked into my eyes for a couple seconds before dropping my hand and muttering "dammit." I glanced around the circle, a little confused.

"Well…" I said, holding out the end of the word. "This was _so _much fun but I've got to go." I started to walk away but was spun back around by Quil. "Woah, woah, woah. Let me at least introduce you to everyone first." He argued. I let out a huff but obliged.

"You know Jake and you just met Brady but this is Jared, Paul, Embry, and Seth." He told me, gesturing to the guys. "Pleasure." I said, in fake sweetness. I glanced at each of them, gave a little, sarcastic smile before spinning around and walking away. "Coming, Collin? Or are you walking?" I called, not even bothering to look over my shoulder. There was shuffling and then my brother was jogging next to me to keep up with my pace.

"We can't stay a little longer?" He whined. I ignored him and continued walking until I almost walked right into a wall of flesh. I stopped, _woah_, and looked up. It was one of Quil's friends. I raised my eyebrows, crossing my arms. _Is he gonna move?_

"Hi. I'm Embry!" He said happily. I turned my head to look at the group of guys behind me. A couple were laughing while Quil was giving Embry a thumbs up. I took a step to the right and he mirrored my movements, taking a step to the left. I moved to the left and he moved to the right.

"If you don't move out of my way in the next five seconds you are going to lose a hand and maybe a toe." I growled out at him. He looked shocked.

"I just wanted to-"

"One."

"-introduce myself because-"

"Two."

"-you don't know many people and-"

"Three."

"-you seem really nice when you're-"

"Four."

"-not threatening me and I'm just gonna move now."

He moved as I opened my mouth to say five. "Smart choice." I said, walking past him and heading to my car. I unlocked it and opened the drivers door before getting in.

"Don't take it personally, she's a bitch to everyone." I heard Collin tell Embry before he rushed into the car, knowing I would leave without him. He had barely shut the door before I was backing out.

"Bye Seth!" I called, waving at the stunned Quileute boy. "It's Embry…" He muttered. I smirked and took off down the road. "Okay. That was mean, you totally knew his name was Embry." Collin told me, disapprovingly. I laughed and shrugged.

"He was...weird." I reasoned. _And cute, _but weird. "He was just being nice." Collin argued. I scoffed, "Yeah, him and the rest of the male population. I'm just a new chew toy for them and thats not really my thing." It was his turn to scoff.

"Please! You liar! You love having guys fawn over you like you're a freaking God or something." I laughed at my brother. He knew me so well. "Maybe, but I'd at least like to get unpacked before I have to deal with them." He chuckled, clearly amused by my reasoning.

"I made a friend." He said happily. I smirked, "The freak who looked like he was trying to see into my soul?" I asked, glancing at him. He didn't seem phased by my comment, he just nodded his head. "Yeah! That's Brady, he's wicked cool." He gushed. My brother was sucha loser sometimes…

"If he is so cool then why would he hang out with you?" I asked. Collin scowled at me. "Because I am a very likable person!" He argued. I laughed, he was so much fun to mess with. "No! I'm serious! Quil and his friends are the popular group at school. Everyone was_ soo_ jealous I was hanging out with Brady."

"Really? What are you? Ten?" I asked, shooting him a look. "_The popular group_!" I mimicked. "Shut up!" He growled, punching me in the arm. "Ow!" I yelped hitting him back. The car swerved a little as he shoved me. "I'M GOING TO GET US IN A CAR ACCIDENT YOU BIMBO!" I yelled. He crossed his arms and sulked in his seat. I pulled into the driveway of our new home and got out of the car.

"My name's Collin and I'm with_ the popular group!_" I said in an annoying voice, mocking him. "RI-RI!" He yelled chasing after me as I sprinted away and into the house.

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><p><em>Three and a half hours. <em>

That is how long I had been barricaded in my room. After running away from Collin I had locked my door to my room. He banged on the door and yelled at me for five minutes and when it finally stopped, I opened the door, only to be greeted by him standing there. I slammed it in his face and ever since then he has been standing outside of the door. _Seriously? How much time does he have?_ I decided to ignore him, if he thought he wasn't getting to me then he would leave, but he stayed. He didn't give up. I admire his ambition but come on!

I unpacked my entire room and got it set up exactly how I wanted it but now I was bored. I crept over to the door and laid down in front of it. I peeked under the door to see if he was gone but I could still see the outline of his shoes. An idea came to me. I silently went over to my window and opened it all the way. I carefully climbed out, onto the patch of roof. _I could do this. _I looked down at the drop. _I can't do this._ How was I going to get down…? I looked around and spotted my savior.

"Hey, Hot-Tall-Guy!" I called in, hopefully, my most persuasive and cute voice. The guy walking down the road spun around and looked up at me. I knew he was one of Quil's friends but I wasn't sure which one. He pointed to himself, "Me?" He asked. I rolled my eyes and laid on my stomach. "Do you see any other hot, tall guys walking around?" I asked in my bored voice. He scratched the back of his head. "Err...no?" Good answer.

"Well...are you going to help me?" I asked, sitting back up. He walked cautiously over to me. "Why are you up there?" He asked. Oh, right, I guess La Push wasn't used to Collin and mine's antics. "My brother locked me in my room, he's so mean. Would you pretty please help a damsel in distress?" I asked, fluttering my eyelashes at him. He blinked a few times. "Uh...um...sure." I inwardly smirked, it was so easy to get people to do what you wanted.

"Do you think you could catch me?" I asked. I wasn't very big and he looked like he could carry things much heavier then me. "Sure." He agreed. I inwardly jumped with joy, I was going to be escaping my room! I carefully climbed over to the edge and swung my legs off the edge of the roof, took a deep breath, and jumped. I landed in a pair of warm arms with an 'oof'. He placed me on the ground and steadied me.

"Thanks so much!" I said, leaning up and placing a kiss on his cheek before heading to my front door. I stopped and turned around. "Whats your name again?" I asked.

"Seth...we met earlier." He told me. I nodded my head. "Riiiight. Well, now I wont forget it because I officially like you. You can call me Ari, only my friends can call me by nicknames." I told him, nodding my head and spinning back around, not waiting for an answer.

"Bye Seth!" I called, opening the door and shutting it behind me. _Nice boy._ I thought, _Wonder how old he is_. I walked into the kitchen to get some food. It might only be 6:30 in Washington but it was 9:30 in Rhode Island and I was long overdue for dinner. I paused and spun around with my mouth hanging open. There was Collin, leaning against the counter, eating chips, and playing with his cell phone. _No fucking way. _I glanced down at his feet, he had no shoes on. I sprinted out of the kitchen and up the stairs. There, in front of my door, were Collin's shoes. From inside my room it would look like someone was standing outside of it. I grabbed the shoes and rushed down the stairs.

"I FREAKING JUMPED OFF A ROOF AND YOU WEREN'T EVEN WAITING OUTSIDE OF MY ROOM!" I screeched. Collin looked at me, dumbfounded, and then glanced at the shoes in my hands before bursting out into laughter. _This was SO not funny!_ I growled and smacked him with the shoes a couple times.

"I can't believe you fell for that! I didn't think it would work! I gave up waiting outside of your room over three hours ago!" He managed to get out between his laughter. I ran to the front door and opened it, throwing his shoes outside and then marching over to where they were on the lawn and stomping on them.

I wasn't going to admit it out loud but I was very impressed. I've taught him well...too well.

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><p><strong>Review and Alert, please!<strong>


	3. Friends&Bitches

**Thanks so much for the reviews and alerts! Keep them coming and here's the next chapter! Also, for those who asked, I will not be stopping _Wonderland_! I have no intention on stopping it soon because I love it so much.(:**

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><p>I walked into school the next morning with Collin at my heels complaining and begging me to do something. Unfortunately, I had no idea what that something was because I had stopped listening a long time ago. By the time I had made it to my locker I was bored with ignoring him. I sighed and turned to face him.<p>

"What do you want?" I asked. He blinked a couple times. Whether it was because he was shocked I was addressing him or shocked that I hadn't been listening to anything he had been saying, I wasn't sure. "Will you drive me and two friends back to our house after school today?" He asked, giving me those puppy dog eyes. _Hun, I invented those._ "No." I responded, shutting my locker and continuing down the hall. "Ariana! Please!" He pleaded. I sighed. "Who is it?" That wasn't a yes or a no but he seemed joyful that I was even considering it. "Brady and Seth." I thought about it for a minute.

"Seth, yes. Brady, no." I responded. "Thats great! Wha-wait, why Seth and not Brady?" He asked. I rolled my eyes as if it was obvious. "Seth is my friend but Brady's weird." I reasoned. He went to start pleading again but stopped himself, a smirk coming on his face.

"I thought you didn't make friends? Why is Seth your friend?" He asked. He thought he had caught me in some elaborate scheme and that I wouldn't have an excuse. He thought I was going to have to admit I liked people. "Oh Col-Col, everyone needs friends. I have you, annoying-punching-bag-friend. Seth, the friend that will catch me if I jump off a roof. Jake, the friend that will let me copy all of his homework and a couple of boyfriends thrown in the mix." I smiled sweetly at him and continued walking before stopping outside of my chemistry classroom.

"If Brady can prove that he deserves for me to drive him then he can come. Otherwise, I'll just bring you and Seth home...maybe just Seth if you annoy me much today…" He pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! Thanks, Sis!" He called, running down the hallway to get to his class. _Not related to him._

I walked into the chemistry room and took a seat at one of the long tables next to a girl I didn't know. She was a little plain looking but she wasn't ugly. She was staring down at a book. _Who reads for fun? _"Cute scarf." I commented. She jumped a little, like she had not realized I was there. Thats what happens when you read in public places. It's like playing angry birds while driving, you forget about everything around you. She looked up at me and her eyes followed me as I sat down next to her. She glanced down at the scarf she was wearing and fixed it a little before looking back to me. "T-thanks." She stuttered. I raised by eyebrows at the girl. _Was she really that shy?_

"I'm Ariana." I told her, though I'm sure she already knew since everyone knew who I was. "Um...Kim?" She seemed very unsure of herself. I nodded my head, this girl wasn't really my type...she wasn't someone who I would hang out with but I was drawn to her. She had the whole 'I know something you don't know' feel about her. I studied her for a second as she went back to her book. I opened my bag and pulled out a piece of gum.

"Do you want a piece?" I asked, politely. I was always so much nicer in the morning and this was a big deal because I never share my gum. She looked up at me with wide eyes and shook her head no. "We aren't allowed to chew gum in school." She informed me. I bit back my snarky comment and turned away from her.

_Yeah, this girl was definitely not my type…_

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><p>"Gorgeous, beautiful, smart Ariana. How are you?" Brady asked, swinging his arm around my shoulder. I smirked. "Well...I would love a Diet Coke right now…" I trailed off, looking up at him expectantly. He quickly scrambled away and Collin came bouncing over to me.<p>

"Sooo…Can he come over?" He asked peppily. I shrugged and started walking away but he grabbed my arm and pulled me to look at him. "Will you...uh...sit with us today?" He asked, sneaking glances over at his table. I glanced over, Embry was starring right at us with the most pleading look on his face. I did not understand this kid. I had completely ignored him during Spanish when he tried to talk to me. He just couldn't seem to take a hint. I gave my brother a disgusted look while he gave me one of pleading. I sighed and he knew he had won because he started dragging me over to the table. He pushed me down in a seat right next to Embry who was giving me a dopey smile which I admit was rather cute but I was not going to let anyone else know that. Brady came bounding over, placing a Diet Coke in front me and taking the seat on the other side of me.

"Thanks, Sweetheart. Could you get me a spoon?" I asked nicely, batting my eyelashes at him. He nodded his head avidly. "Sure!" I smirked and turned back to the table. Embry was glaring at Brady's retreating figure. "Yeah, he can come over." I told Collin who grinned excitedly. He was such a freak. I leaned over and snatched a few of his french fries. "Hey!" He complained, attempting to swat my hands away. I smirked eating the fries.

"Here! You can have some of mine!" Embry quickly urged, pushing some of his food in front of me. I looked down at the greasy food and back up to him. "Uh...no. Not that satisfying when the food is actually offered to you." I told him, giving him a half smile, half grimace. He frowned and started slowly eating again but I could see him stealing glances at me. I didn't understand him.

"Here you go Ariana!" Brady said happily, placing a spoon in front of me and taking a seat again. "Thanks Brady." I said, grinning at him. He returned my smile and started eating again. I didn't even need a spoon, I just wanted him to get it for me. I opened my Diet Coke and took a sip. I loved Diet Cola, it was my drink of choice in any situation, any time of day.

"Aren't you going to eat lunch?" Embry asked, studying me. I shrugged. _Why did he care?_ "She doesn't usually eat lunch." Collin piped up. I could tell he was trying to get me out of having to make small talk to him. I was grateful for the effort. Unfortunately, Embry didn't seem to know when to just let stuff go. "Why not? That's not healthy, Ari, and you're so skinny...you should eat something." Embry argued, seeming panicked for my well being. Okay, so I admit that I loved the skinny comment, I ate up the compliment but I didn't know him and he should just stay out of my life. I snatched an apple off of Brady's tray and, without breaking eye contact with him, took a bite of it. I put the apple back on Brady's tray and picked up my stuff to leave.

"Well, I must be going...more important people to see." I told them standing up and grabbing my Diet Coke. "Oh, and Embry?" I asked. He looked crushed that I was leaving but perked up when I addressed him specifically. "Don't call me Ari...thats reserved for friends only." I shot him a fake smile and walked across the cafeteria to a table of all guys. I recognized some of them from my classes and saw Graham there as well.

"Hi." I said, twirling my hair with my one of my fingers. "Could I sit here?" I asked. They all immediately nodded their heads and some of them said yes. I took a seat between Graham and another boy I didn't know the name of.

"So Ariana, hows your second day been?" Graham asked, putting his arm around the back of my seat. I shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess. Do I know you?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. A couple of the guys at the table sniggered and Graham's smile faltered. "Um, uh, G-Graham...we sit next to each other in history…" He reminded me. "Oh…" I trailed off. "I guess I remember you." _Hard to forget someone whose named after a cracker… _I turned to the guy sitting on my other side, already bored with cracker boy.

"My name's Cole." He told me, smiling at me. I liked this guy. He was blonde and clearly not originally from around here. He reminded me of home...back in Rhode Island. "Hi Cole. My names Ariana." He smiled and seemed to look at Graham over my head for a second before turning his attention back to me.

"Well Ariana, it is very nice to meet you. French fry?" He asked, pushing his plate towards me. I smirked back and took one to nibble on. There was a bang from across the lunch room and everyone, I included, turned to look at the noise. Embry had thrown his chair back and was now storming out of the cafeteria. I stared wide-eyed and made eye contact with some of the guys at Embry's table. Most of them were looking at me sadly. Jacob got up and followed Embry out. I turned back to Cole, looking confused. He rolled his eyes.

"Ignore him. They're all freaks." He told me. He was talking about my brother, my cousin, and my sort-of friends but I didn't speak up or defend them. I bit my lip but didn't say anything. I never speak up when it actually counts for something.

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><p>I sat, later that night, in my room working on my homework. I couldn't seem to concentrate, my mind kept wandering back to lunch and, sadly, Embry. <em>Why had he stormed off like that?<em> He had seemed pretty upset. I got up from my desk and walked out of my room, down the stairs, and into the living room.

I stood in the doorway watching the three boys who were sitting in my living room. The television was on, there was snacks around them, and Brady was telling some elaborate story causing Seth and Collin to crack up. I smiled, they weren't freaks...they were cute - not so little - kids. Seth looked up and noticed me.

"Ari!" He said, happily. I had learned today that Seth was always in a good mood and always nice to everyone. Normally I would hate people like that but I found it really hard to hate Seth...especially since he caught me when I jumped off my roof. "Hey guys!" I said, happily walking in and taking a seat next to my brother. "I was wondering if I could ask you something…" I trailed off and looked up at them. The urged me with their eyes to continue. "What was with Embry today? Why did he freak out and leave the cafeteria?" I asked, gauging their reactions. My brother shrugged and shook his head. He wasn't a very good liar and I could tell he was telling the truth but the other two boys seemed uneasy, like they knew the truth but weren't going to tell me.

"Um...he just heard something he didn't like…" Brady said slowly. "Yeah." Seth agreed. "He's fine now though if you wanted to go see him or talk to him or something. I could give you his phone number or his address or-" I held up my hand to get him to stop talking. I didn't need a whole explanation just a simple answer. I knew what they had told me wasn't the truth or the whole truth but I didn't want to push it and make it seem like I cared more than I did.

"I don't want to go see him or anything. I was just curious." I told them, standing up and heading into the kitchen for dinner. I made myself some soup and ate most of it before heading back to room. I finished my homework and listened to some music before I heard the front door open. I could hear my mom greeting the boys. She seemed thrilled that Collin had made friends and that the boys were over our house. I headed downstairs to see them.

"Hey Ari." My mom said as she placed the huge plate of pizza rolls in front of Collin and his friends. "Hey mom." I smiled. "Did you have dinner? I could make you a salad or something." She asked, putting chicken nuggets in the oven. "I already ate, just getting a drink." I responded, pulling the apple juice out of the fridge. "Honey." My mom piped up, clearing the empty plate of pizza rolls. _Damn, how did they eat those so fast?_ "You know water is _healthier_." I glanced down at the apple juice before putting it back in the fridge. She was right. It had a lot of sugar, it wasn't good for you at all. I grabbed a cup and got some water from the sink and drank it before starting to head back upstairs.

"I have to go Mrs. C...I have work." Brady said from the kitchen. I paused. "Oh, are you sure?" I could practically see the frown on my mom's face. "Yeah, Sam will kill me if I'm late." _Who was Sam and why would Brady be working this late?_ Okay, it wasn't that late but weren't high schoolers jobs right after school or something? I turned back down the stairs.

"I can drive you, Brady." I told him, knowing that he didn't have a ride to wherever he was going. He looked shocked that I had offered. "Oh, you don't have to do that...I can walk." He told me. Collin nudged him. "If she's offering to give you a ride, you take it. She never offers to drive anyone, anywhere." I stuck my tongue out at him but Brady accepted my offer and followed me out to my car.

"Where to?" I asked. He explained to me how to get to his friend Sam's house and we were there in about five minutes. "Thanks, Ariana. It was nice of you to drive me." He said, getting out of his car. I shrugged.

"You know, I'm not a complete bitch...even if I act like it." He smiled and nodded his head. "I know." He responded, shutting the door and heading towards the house. I pulled out of the driveway as someone else was walking towards the house. I glanced out my window at the boy. It was Embry. I don't know what came over me but I gave him a small smile and a little wave. He froze, staring at my retreating car and waved slightly as I pulled down the road.

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><p><strong>Not an extremely long chapter but they will get longer once the story picks up. Reviews are welcomed! <strong>

**Responses:**

**ToLazyToSignIn: haha, she wont but only you are allowed to call her Ari! Anyone else will be severely punished. I think I will have her RI friends visit at some point and we will hear more about her boyfriends...notice the plural. I'm glad you like _Wonderland_ so much. I don't have the heart to end it anytime soon since I am in love with Kim (in the most normal way possible) and I have so much fun writing her. Thanks for the review, glad you like both stories!**


	4. Coffee&Kim

**Hey Everyone! Thanks for all your reviews and alerts! They mean so much! I have an important message at the bottom of this chapter so please look at it. Enjoy! XX.**

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><p><strong>Kim's Point of View:<strong>

_Ariana Corsini._

She is...well...she is...I don't even know what to say or where to begin. Ariana or Ari, as a select few were allowed to call her, has moved back to La Push as of recently after moving away when she was eight years old. Jared told me that her brother is going to phase soon which was why she came back. Personally, I think she should have just stayed where she was.

_Okay. _That was mean.

She isn't a bad person… Okay, who am I kidding, she is. She's a cold-hearted bitch...sometimes. I've seen her say nice things to her brother who, by the way, is nothing like her. She seems to be looking out for him, she's also once told Jake that his car was really cool, and, of course, she told me she liked my scarf that one time. When she does say something remotely nice she does seem to mean it wholeheartedly which, even some of the nicest people, don't always do.

Everyone in La Push is fascinated with her. She's what every girl wants to be and, even when she is mean, people can't help but like her. She is unbelievably gorgeous and seemed to somehow get all the good Quileute genes. She has those runway long legs and her typical Quileute skin is flawless. She has big dark brown eyes and long black hair that always seems to be in place. She's also very skinny but still has the right amount of curves...every girls dream. Even I admit I'm jealous. The guys go crazy over her. She seems to have this confidence about her that I wish I had but at times I've seen her looking rather vulnerable which is unfathomable to me.

She has almost every guy, dating or single, pinning after her but she hasn't really shown any interest. She will flirt with them shamelessly but if you're paying attention, you can tell she's not really interested. I like to observe people. I like to people watch. Studying people when they don't know you are looking is how you get to know them the best. This is why I know Jared so well, I had three years to study him before he imprinted on me.

I haven't even gotten to the best part about all this.

Embry imprinted.

_On her._

Sweet, innocent, nice Embry imprinted on the spawn of the devil herself. When he told me and Jared after that day at school, even I couldn't help but laugh and let out a "Good luck with _that_." Emily, being the nice one out of all of us, congratulated him and told him she couldn't wait to meet her. _Ha._ No one had the heart to tell her that she could probably wait to meet her and enjoy her life better.

She still perplexed me. I was usually very good at reading people, I could figure them out with little trouble but she was a mystery to me. Whenever I thought I understood her, she changed. I didn't even know why I cared. Was it because she was technically apart of our wolf-girl pack even though she didn't know it? She hadn't gone out of her way to be particularly nice to me...but then again, she hadn't been specifically mean to me. She poked fun and made snotty comments at everyone's expense, but me, which was weird since I was such an easy target.

I don't understand her. I don't understand her one bit.

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View:<strong>

"Collin, your math book is in the backseat." I pointed out as he started to walk away from the car. He spun back around, gave me a grateful look, and opened the back door to get his book. After he shut it, I clicked the lock on my keys and headed towards the school.

"You know...Ari, I only want you to be happy. You know that, right?" I gave him a confused look but nodded my head. He was my annoying brother and I was his bitch sister but we still loved each other. Then something dawned on me. "What did you do?" I whisper shrieked not wanting to cause attention. He ignored my question and ran ahead of me to meet his friends. I was instantly nervous. _Why would he say something like that?_ I walked to my locker, waving to a few people and sending a wink in Cole's direction, before getting my books.

"Ariana." I jumped in surprise. I groaned, I knew that voice. _Embry Call._ If I had to give him points for anything it would be that he's persistent. He doesn't give up even though I have rejected him countless times. This past week he has attempted to talk to me and I have shot him down every time, being more of a jerk than usual. It's actually becoming a hassle to be mean to him which, in turn, was extremely tiring.

"Em-bray." I growled out, turning to face him, purposely pronouncing his name wrong. He didn't seem phased by my rudeness, he still had the huge smile on his face while he looked at me like the sun shinned out of my freaking ass. "I brought you coffee." He said happily. My expression softened slightly. He brought me coffee.

"I love coffee." I said softly. It was probably one of the only things I had ever said to him that wasn't said in a mean, sarcastic, or bitchy way. If possible, his expression seemed to become even more happy. "I know." He said, equally as soft, holding the cup out towards me. I took the coffee and smelled it. It smelled good. I took a sip. I could tell it even had fat-free cream in it which was the only kind I drank. I gave him a real smile before shutting my locker and reaching forward and grabbing his ear, pulling him down the hallway.

"Ow! Ow! What did I do? What did I do!" He yelped. I ignored him and continued walking towards where I knew my brother and his friends would be. "Oh shit." I heard Collin mutter as Embry and I got closer.

"Hey everyone." I said, nice enough, taking another sip of my coffee. "This coffee is really good Emmy-Boo, hey Collin? Do you know why Embry would have known I like coffee and brought some to me?" I asked, tightening my grip on Embry's ear. Collin's eyes darted around, looking at the other guys for help.

"I um...I know how much you love coffee and I was attempting to do something nice for you and I thought it would be a nice surprise and I...yeah, you're such a great person. I love you?" It was so amusing to watch a boy who was taller than me cower at my presence. I smirked.

"I really am lovely, aren't I?" I mused, pulling on Embry's ear a little more. "Yes." Embry said while Collin nodded. I smiled at them and sent a little wink Brady's way. These guys were fun. "Hi Jake." I said, turning my attention away from my brother and my admirer. Jacob waved and looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"What's up, Ari?" He asked. I shrugged. "Eh, nothing much." I turned back to Embry and Collin. "Well, I must be going but this was fun, I'd say we should do it again sometime but I don't want to make promises I wont keep." I smiled at Collin and turned to Embry, placing a kiss on his cheek, and letting go of his ear. He seemed stunned and stared at me wide eyed for a second.

"Thanks for the coffee, Embry." I said before turning and walking away.

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><p>At lunch I didn't even hesitate walking over to 'the table'. That was what I was calling Quil and Collin's table of friends. They always sat at the same table everyday and no one ever went over to see them or sit with them. I took a seat next to Kim. She looked over at me like a deer caught in the headlights. <em>Was I really that scary?<em> I had never been mean to her specifically...I think… "Hello Kimberly." I smiled. Her eyes widened even more and Jared wrapped an arm around her protectively as if to keep her from any insult I might throw her way.

"I-it's Kim…" She muttered. I nodded my head. "But Kimberly sounds so professional and grown up." I reasoned. I actually liked the name Kimberly very much, it was one of my favorite names.

"She likes to be called Kim." Jared snapped. I raised my eyebrows at him but wasn't phased by his rudeness to me. There was a low growl from across the table but I didn't look up to see who it was.

"Sweetie, can I call you Kimberly?" I asked. I knew this girl was the same age as me but I couldn't resist. She seemed so young and little, it was fun. "Sure." She mumbled. I sent a big smile to Jared who was glaring at me. _Ouch, you'd think I was a bitch or something. Oh wait… _

"Oh, and Collin? I can't bring you home today." I told him, pulling a container out of my bag that had a small salad in it. I opened it and started picking at it. "Why not?" Collin asked, sending me a heartbroken expression. I rolled my eyes as food came out of his mouth when he talked. _Gross. _"Because Kimberly and I have plans." I told him.

"We what?" Kim squeaked. Jared was shaking his head at me, still holding onto Kim. I rolled my eyes at her panicked expression. "We're having a girls night." I told her, still smiling innocently. "I-uh-no-can't-uh-busy...Jared!" She stumbled out. "Kim has plans with me." He said, coldly. I let my eyes widen in mock hurt.

"Do you not want to hang out with me?" I asked Kimberly. She quickly shook her head no. "It's...uh...not that...I..um...I would love to have a girls night with you." She finally decided on. I smirked. "Great." I turned back to my salad and started picking at it again, taking another bite of the lettuce. I noticed Embry watching me and starring at the salad but he didn't say anything.

"Why are you even eating with us? Or should I say sitting since you're hardly eating?" Jared growled. Embry let out a low warning growl. At him or me I wasn't sure. "Ariana…" Collin warned, knowing I would not be pleased with how Jared was talking to me. I ignored my little brother. "I don't have to sit here." I argued. "Say the words and I'll leave and not come back." I growled back at him. I didn't like the way he was talking to me at all. Jared opened his mouth but Embry interrupted him. "Jared!" He half growled, half hissed.

"Thats okay." I said calmly, trying not to let the hurt seep into my voice or expression. "I have to go anyway." I pushed my unfinished salad away from me, I wasn't hungry anymore, and stood up, taking my bag to leave. There were plenty of people who would love to sit with me.

"Ariana." Embry called. I glanced at him, he looked crushed. I actually felt bad. "Please don't go." He whispered pathetically. I shrugged. "It's okay. I'll see you later maybe." I said softly before walking away. I wasn't used to getting shunned away from people. I mean, I knew I wasn't very nice but I thought I had been better with these guys. I was trying. I really was.

Instead of finding somewhere else to sit during the rest of lunch, I went to the library. I had never been to the one at my old school or this school but I didn't really have anything else to do and I wondered what really went on in there. I walked in and glanced around. There were a few people reading and a lady sitting at a large desk. I assumed she was the gatekeeper of the books. I don't know why that was a job. _Why would anyone want to steal a book?_

I walked up and down the isles looking at the random books. I didn't really have any urge to read them, I just wanted to look. I had never seen so many books in one place. I ran my fingers over the covers. Each one had significance, meant something, was written for a reason. Each book was enjoyed by someone. I sighed. Books had it so easy. Once they were written they knew what they had to do. They had a purpose.

I wish I had a purpose.

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><p><strong>Collin's Point of View:<strong>

I watched as my sister walked away. She looked sad. I knew she had been making an effort to be nice to everyone and I knew she wouldn't have asked Kim to hang out unless she really wanted to spend time with her. "What the fuck is wrong with her?" Jared hissed, shaking his head at her retreating figure. "Sorry Embry, I know you're in love with her and everything but she's a bitch." Kim nudged Jared and Embry looked like he was ready to kill.

"Shut up, Jared! You don't know anything about her!" I growled, slamming my hands down onto the table. I knew my sister wasn't perfect. I knew she was a bitch sometimes but I was the only one allowed to call her that. Part of me knew she had a reason to be a bitch. I didn't know the whole story but I knew she had trouble with past boyfriends and I knew she was always tense when mom was with her. He didn't have a right to talk about my sister like that.

"Collin." Jake said in a warning voice. He stood up, pulling me up as well. It was only then that I realized I was shaking. Hard. "He can't talk about her like that! Especially because he doesn't know her! None of you know her so you can't judge her!" I growled.

"Collin!" Jake hissed. "Outside. Now." He dragged me out and I could still feel my body shaking. "Embry! You too." Embry stood up and followed us out along with Brady and Seth who were looking at me with pity.

"Will you just let the fuck go of me?" I growled as he pushed me outside and started towards the woods. "Let. Go!" He finally let go and dropped me to the ground, turning to Embry. "You, go for a run and calm down." He ordered before turning back to me. "It's gonna be okay, Collin." I couldn't control my shaking. _What was going on?_

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View:<strong>

"Ariana!" I turned as Kimberly ran towards me. I gave her a confused look. "Hey. Are we still hanging out?" She breathed out, a little out of breath from running across the parking lot. I fidgeted. "Oh. Um, you don't have to. You have plans with Jared and-"

"I want to." She interrupted. I grinned. "Okay." I said excitedly, heading towards my car with her. I knew exactly what we were going to do.

"Ariana!" Another voice yelled. I paused in front of my car with Kimberly. It was Cole. "Hey Cole." I said, smiling and leaning against my car. He paused in front of us. "I just wanted to personally invite you to a party I'm having this weekend." My eyes lit up. _Party?_ "Is my friend Kimberly invited?" I asked. His smile faltered a little bit and he seemed to notice Kim standing next to me for the first time. His smile quickly came back.

"Of course, any friend of yours is a friend of mine." I smirked. "Well then," I said, twirling a piece of my hair, "Maybe we'll stop by if we aren't to busy." I informed him. He didn't look extremely happy at my answer as if he was expecting me to say yes immediately. "Well, we must get going. Bye." I said, shooting him a smile and getting in the drivers side while Kim got in the passenger side.

"You're sleeping over tonight." I told Kim. I knew exactly what was going to happen tonight and, while I knew she wouldn't like it much, it would be worth it.

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><p><strong>IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I am leaving this afternoon for New York City...I will be gone until Thursday evening so nothing will be posted until then. I will miss you all but the earliest you will get anything on all three of my stories will be on Friday, July 15th or Saturday, July 16th. I will have my iPhone with me so I will still be able to respond to reviews and messages so feel free to chat with me.<strong>

**If you're looking for something to do until this story is updated go check out one of my other stories.**

**Lots of love. XX.**


	5. Parties&Sleepovers

**I know this has taken forever to get up but I was having issues getting back into the flow of writing my two stories since I had taken a week off. I am now back from New York and should be updating more regularly. Please review and let me know what you think!**

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><p>"You know what, Ari? I only agreed to hang out with you to be nice but this is too much! I can't pull this off. I can't go to school like this!" Kim shrieked. She didn't sound mad, only panicked. I rolled my eyes at her. She's almost as dramatic as me. <em>Aw, I've taught her well. They grow up so fast! <em>

"You look hot, Kim. Embrace it." I told her, applying my makeup. I had merely _suggested_, though she might use the word _force_, that she let me give her a makeover. She had agreed after a little sweet talking and convincing. I glanced at her in the mirror. She really did look beautiful. Not that she wasn't before but she definitely didn't look plain like I had originally thought. I had painted her nails and put light but defining makeup on her, which wasn't what she was freaking out about.

I had cut her hair.

Yeah.

_I know. _

It didn't look bad. Promise. I had given her bangs which framed her face nicely. The full bangs made her head seem a little smaller and gave her hair more volume, also making it look thicker. I had only trimmed the ends since it looked good long but she had freaked out. I had given her my iPod and she had shut her eyes while I was doing her hair. As far as she knew, I was straightening it and figuring out the best way for her to wear it. By the time she realized what was going on, it was too late, I was already half way done. She had to let me finish and it looked gorgeous. I was so excited but she had been freaking out ever since.

I had then forced her to sleep over my house, even though she had freaked out, insisting she had tests to study for. It was, after all, a school night. I had rolled my eyes at that and told her to suck it up. I had wanted to go to the local drug store and buy blue hair dye to put streaks in her hair but she had drawn the line at that.

I had, surprisingly, had a great time with Kimberly. She was sweet...it was different from what I was used too but at the same time, a tad bit refreshing. She was so uncaring with what others thought about her. She was quiet, reserved, observant, and loyal. Those weren't qualities I would consider myself or any of my usual friends or acquaintances, but I was drawn to her. I wanted to understand how she did it. I wanted to know more about her. I was fascinated.

Then there was the Jared thing, while Jared wasn't exactly nice to me, he was still her boyfriend. In the few times I had observed them together you could tell just how much they loved each other. He seemed to worship the ground she walked on and would do anything to make her happy. It was a little creepy. Very weird. I would not want someone that obsessed with me but hey, whatever works for her. It was strange though...how did someone like her, end up with someone like him? Okay. That was mean but, come on, we were all thinking it. Kim's a lovely person but I never would have thought she would be Jared's type.

I focused back in on Kimberly's complaining over the outfit I was trying to get her to wear. She had argued that she wouldn't fit into my clothes because I was "too skinny", her words, not mine, but I had eventually found her this adorable red dress. It was casual, short sleeved, and went to mid thigh. It was loose but cute and looked great on Kim. She threw a temper tantrum saying she couldn't wear something like this to school and wanted to know why she couldn't wear her usual, boring, jeans and t-shirt. She also thought the dress showed to much leg, which it didn't. I spun around in my vanity stool to look at her.

"Put the God damn dress on or I will dye your hair blue and then you will wear the dress." I hissed, half kidding. She froze and her eyes widened before she slowly nodded her head. I smiled triumphantly before standing up and turning on my straightener. "Once you're dressed I need you to straighten your hair. Kay?" I asked. She nodded her head again in defeat. Perfect.

I turned on my blow dryer and blow dried my wet hair. It took about ten minutes and when it was done you could see the natural, loose curls that my hair had. I always straightened it, it looked horrible any other way. I turned back to Kim who was almost finished with the hair straightening. I then quickly got dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, ankle boots, and a cute tank top. I straightened my hair while Kimberly went downstairs to eat breakfast. Once she was finished, I gave her a pair of black, caged sandals which she seemed to be glad weren't heals. I didn't bother fighting her on it. I had put her through enough.

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><p>I dragged her through the parking lot, smiling wide. I was in a great mood. Maybe it was the fact that I had given Kimberly a makeover, or maybe it was the fact that Collin was apparently sick and I didn't have to hear his voice this morning, maybe it was because the sun was shinning. Who knew, but whatever it was put me in a good mood.<p>

"Jared is going to love it!" I said happily, continuing to pull her along. She protested and tried to pull away but luckily I was much stronger. "I don't want to see Jared!" She squeaked. I laughed.

"Oh come on, I know you miss him because he didn't sleepover last night." I told her, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. She turned bright red. "How did you-I-um…" She trailed off and I burst into another fit of laughter.

"He texted you...about a million times. I am very impressed though Kimberly, didn't think you had it in you." I told her, grinning as she turned an even darker red.

"Kim!" An excited and relieved voice called. I glanced up along with Kim to see we were almost to the boys. Jared had called her. Shocker. I pushed her ahead of me and Jared's eyes widened slightly. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"Hey!" I complained. "Watch her hair!" He glared at me, ignoring my comment and presence before turning back to her. I crossed my arms, biting back a rude comment. "She didn't hurt you did she?" He asked, inspecting her. I let my mouth drop into an 'O' and glanced around the circle of people.

"I wouldn't...hurt her." I mumbled looking down at my feet. _Is this what they really thought of me?_ I don't know why I cared. I wanted acceptance from the group for some strange reason. I wanted them to like me, I had never felt that way before. I had never had the urge to try to get someone to want to be with me or like me. If the didn't like me then I moved on. What was different with these guys?

Jared ignored me again and turned back to Kim. "You look beautiful, by the way." He said softly. Kim, of course, blushed a dark scarlet color. I smiled sadly at them, no matter how much Jared annoyed me, anyone could tell that he loved Kim more than anything. He had called her beautiful. Not hot or sexy, it somehow made it more sweet.

"Well...just returning Kim, see you guys later maybe…" I trailed off, backing away slowly. I hadn't said anything mean to anyone yet and I wanted to keep it that way. If I could go the day being nice to them then it was an accomplishment. A huge accomplishment. I gave the group a small smile and spun back around, walking away.

"Ariana!" Embry jogged after me and easily caught up. "Hi Embry." I said calmly, heading to my locker. He continued walking with me in silence. I collected my books and shut my locker before pausing and turning to face him.

"I don't like being mean." I told him truthfully before spinning around and weaving through the crowds of people to get to my next class.

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><p>I fluffed my hair, giving myself a once over in the mirror. I hoped I looked okay. My short skirt was tight but my looser shirt balanced it out. It looked gorgeous on the mannequin but now I wasn't so sure. I sucked in my stomach again, looking in the mirror. I decided that everyone would be to drunk to care if I looked good. My phone rang, it was Kim.<p>

"Hello!" I sang into the receiver. "Hey Ari, do you want Jared and me to give you a ride?" She asked. Normally I wouldn't have wanted to spend any time I didn't have to with Jared but if I got a ride there then I wouldn't have to worry about how much I drank. I could get completely shit faced and not have to drive home. Sounded pretty good to me. "Sure." I said, still fidgeting with my top. "We'll be there in a couple minutes." And then she hung up. I inspected myself again and put on my long trench-coat style jacket so I could hide my outfit from my parents. They thought I was hanging out with Kim tonight and were thrilled I had made friends. I also put on my thigh-high, black, heeled boots. I hardly ever wore them but was excited to wear them tonight.

I walked out of my room and knocked on Collin's door. I hadn't seen him in three days because he was sick. Mom told me that he was staying in his room so he didn't infect us and to just leave him alone. I knocked again, no answer. I opened the door slowly.

"Collin?" I whispered, flipping on the lights. The room was empty. His bed freshly made. He hadn't been here recently. Oh yeah, he's so sick. I turned the light off, shut the door, and walked down the stairs. There was a car horn outside.

"I'm leaving!" I called to anyone who was listening. "I might sleepover Kim's so don't wait up!" I didn't give my parents time to respond, I hightailed it out of the house towards the waiting car. I was barely in the back seat before Jared was pulling out. So he wasn't in a good mood today either…

"Hi Jared." I said in a sarcastically, sweet tone. "Hey Kim!" I said happier. "Hi Ariana! You look really pretty." She told me, turning around from the front seat to look at me. I grinned. I thought I looked pretty cute.

We arrived at the party not long after and there were already cars parked outside, music playing, and people looking a little tipsy on the front lawn. I took my jacket off, placing it on the seat before jumping out of the car. I flashed Kim and Jared a peace sign. "Later." I smiled and walked away from them and into the loud house.

I weaved through the crowded rooms. I recognized a lot of the people but I couldn't tell you the names of most of them. _I need a drink._ I easily found the kitchen and got myself a beer. I finished it in a couple sips. I wanted to be completely drunk. I hadn't been in a long time and I missed not having a care in the world. I wanted to dance around and laugh and make out with random guys. I wanted to have fun. A little while later I found myself on the dance floor dancing with people I didn't even know. I felt arms go around my waist and I ground into the person who they belonged too.

"Hey Baby, I've been looking for you." A familiar voice whispered in my ear. I spun around. "Cole!" I sang, wrapping my arms around his neck, giggling. _Yeah_, I giggled. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him, and resting one hand on my ass. I didn't really want to talk to him, I didn't have a reason to, so I leaned up and pressed my lips to his.

He tasted like cheap alcohol. It wasn't what I would have preferred, Cole was definitely not number one of my list of people I would make out with, but he was available and willing. He licked my lips, sloppily, and I opened my mouth to let him in. He wasn't a very good kisser but I guess I've had worse. I'm not sure how long we made out for but I felt a warm arm on my shoulder that wasn't his. I pulled back to see Quil looking down at me. He looked a bit sad and it made my stomach hurt. I felt like I was a five year old caught doing something wrong but I hadn't done anything wrong. Why did it feel like I did?

"Hey, can I borrow Ari?" He asked. Cole looked pissed that he had interrupted us but I pulled myself out of his arms and nodded my head, following Quil through the mounds of people, grabbing another drink on my way. We went out to the back deck where plenty of people were dancing, drinking, and hanging out.

"Whats up?" I asked, jumping up to sit on the ledge of the railing that outlined the deck. He shrugged, leaning against the railing next to me. "Just wanted to hang out with my favorite cousin...I haven't talked to you in forever." He said, nonchalantly. I knew he was lying but I let it slide. I didn't care that much with making out with Cole.

"Still your favorite cousin?" I asked, a little surprised. You'd think after spending time with me these past two weeks, he would hate my guts but apparently not. I finished my drink and grabbed the one out of Quil's hands. If I was going to talk to him, I might as well be drunk. I was always so much more fun to be around when I was drunk...or at least I'm told. "How many of those have you had?" He muttered. I shrugged and noticed I was swaying a little. I looked up to see to people walking out of the forrest. Embry and Jacob. My eyes zeroed in on Embry. He really was beautiful. He had this crazed, animal look in his eyes which was super sexy. When his eyes landed on my he softened. I smiled at the two boys and leaned towards Quil.

"He's so hot." I whispered in Quil's ear. He smirked at me but didn't say anything. The two boys came over to us. "Hello!" I slurred, drinking more of my beer.

"How much has she had?" Embry hissed at Quil, wrapping an arm around my waist when I started to sway backwards a little, in danger of falling off the rail. Quil shrugged.

"It was either get her to stop drinking or stop sucking face. I thought I made the right choice." He hissed back. I could tell they weren't really mad at each other. I giggled and reached up, poking Quil's cheek. His head snapped to look at me.

"You have a weird head." I giggled, leaning my head onto Embry's shoulder.

"You know, she's kinda cute when she's drunk." Jake observed. "Very tame." He studied me and I noticed Embry shuffled a little closer to me. I didn't care, he was so comfortable.

"I'm a really good person." I slurred. Jake laughed but nodded his head. "Of course you are, Ari." He agreed, smirking a little.

"You don't think I'm a bad person, right?" I asked, looking up at Embry for an answer. He shook his head no. "I think you're great." He told me, looking down at me. He didn't even hesitate with his answer like most would. "Thats why you're my favorite." I told him, running my hands along his chest. He's so muscular but at the same time he is so gentle.

"Really?" He asked. "I thought you hated me." I shook my head no. _How could I hate him?_ He was so nice and caring to me, even when I was mean to him, he still was patient with me. I leaned in close to him and I heard him suck in a deep breath.

"I don't hate you but don't tell anyone, especially not Embry." I whispered. He nodded his head, still not breathing. "Shhh!" I added for affect, placing a finger over my mouth. I giggled, turning away from him.

"He's weird." I told the other two boys who nodded their head in agreement. I focused on the red cup that Jacob was holding. I reached towards it but he pulled it out of my reach. I frowned and leaned forward more. I would have fallen right on my face if Embry hadn't been holding me. I giggled, jumping off the railing and stumbling on my feet, reaching for Jacob's drink again. He pulled it away from me again. I frowned.

"Why?" I whined like a two year old. He chuckled, "Because you will hate me tomorrow if I let you drink it." He reasoned. I pouted and looked up at Embry who still had his arms wrapped around me to keep from falling. "But I want to get really drunk and make out with _you_." I told Embry. His eyes widened and Jake handed me the cup.

"Well if thats the reason then drink away." Jake told me, smirking. I took it happily and brought it to my lips before Embry took it away. I frowned, looking up at him.

"You don't need to be drunk to kiss me." He said desperately, as if he was trying to get me to understand something. I blinked at him a couple times. "Yes I do…" I said slowly, tailing off. "Otherwise I don't have an excuse." With those truthful words, I grabbed the drink out of his hand and immediately started drinking it.

"I better bring her home." Embry mumbled, pulling me away from the deck and down the pathway. "No!" I whined. "I'm having fun!" He smiled down at me and continued to lead me away from the party. I stumbled and swayed a little but he kept me safe from the ground and myself. I hummed to the tune of the song I could still hear playing from the house.

"Did you bring your car?" He asked, pausing for a minute. An idea came to mind and I pushed him against the car next to us as soon as the thought passed through my mind. I shook my head no and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him to me. I was a relatively tall girl and with my heals I was almost his height. I pressed my lips to his, enjoying the warmth. He was frozen for a second before he responded, kissing me back and wrapping his arms around me.

It was amazing. No other way to describe it. He was a fantastic kisser, so much better than Cole. His lips tasted amazing and I was dying to taste more so I opened my mouth, running my tongue along the bottom of his lip, sucking on it a little. He gasped a little, opening his mouth for me. Our tongues tangled together and I had honestly never had a better kiss. Even in my drunken state I knew this was as good as it got.

I pulled back for breath. "I didn't bring my car." I told him, answering his earlier question. He looked stunned, dazed, and shocked all at once. I took a step away and started walking down the road. He caught up immediately and wrapped his arms around my waist, keeping me from falling. _Oh, well._ I thought, leaning against him. _Might as well enjoy this._

"Wait!" I realized something and he stopped. "I can't go back home. My parents will kill me." I looked up at him hopefully. He gave me a half smile. "You could...um...stay at my place. My mom's already asleep and she leaves early for work so she wouldn't know." He told me. I nodded my head grateful and we continued walking. I realized I had never been to his house.

"You're so warm." I slurred, continuing to stumble, still in his arms. He chuckled softly in my ear causing a shiver to go down my spin. I smiled widely. I couldn't tell you the last time I had felt like this. I had been doing my best to ignore him and deny I cared about him at all but I didn't want to. I wanted someone to love me. I wanted someone to want me...and not just for sex. Maybe Embry was that person.

"Be quiet." He mumbled, leading me up the steps. I giggled and turned back around in his arms, placing my lips on his again. Since I had kissed him the first time all I wanted to do was kiss him again. His lips molded against mine. _Where had he learned to become such a good kisser? _He moaned into my mouth and I pulled back.

"Be quiet!" I chided, doing my best impersonation of his voice, before breaking into a fit of giggles. He smirked and brought his finger up to his lip in a 'shh-ing' motion. I mimicked him and he opened his front door, leading me inside. He practically carried me up the stairs and led me into his room. He shut his door before leading me over to his bed. When he removed his arm from around me I practically fell onto his big bed. _How much had I had to drink? Did I want to know?_ He helped me sit up then helped me take off my black-heeled boots.

"How do you walk in those?" He muttered. "I don't know...you carried me most of the way." I whispered back, remembering he had told me to be quiet. He smiled crookedly at me. Once the shoes were off my feet I stood up and wobbled only slightly. I knew _what_ I wanted to do and I knew _who_ I wanted. I wrapped my arms around Embry's neck and kissed him for the third time that night. He returned my kiss immediately and lifted me up so he could kiss me easier. His lips were heaven. _How had I gone this long without kissing him?_

"Aren't you glad I'm a flirty drunk instead of a mean drunk?" I whispered against his lips. "Absolutely." He grunted back, attacking my lips again. He pushed me onto the bed, climbing on top of me, trailing kisses down my jaw and onto my neck. I moaned softly, twisting my fingers in his hair and pulling his wonderful mouth back up to mine. I kissed him deeply and flipped us over so I was straddling him on top. I pulled back to breath, looking down at him. He was so gorgeous, he must be pretty drunk if he's willingly making out with me. He didn't seem drunk though, he seemed happy. I licked my lips looking down at him before leaning forward and placing slow kisses along his jaw line before reaching his ear. I licked the lobe and nibbled softly on it, tugging it a little with my teeth. He moaned.

"Ariana…" He said my name in such a caring voice, as if it was his favorite word. I pulled back, removing my hands from his hair and pulling my shirt over my head. His eyes widened slightly as he took in my black lace bra. I leaned back down, kissing him again. I moved my hands under his shirt. I could feel the hard muscle of his skin. I could only imagine what it looked like. I didn't want to imagine so I tugged on his shirt and broke the kiss to help him lift it over his head. My eyes ran over his gorgeous chest. He was the perfect tan color and every part of him was muscle. Gorgeous, hard, tan, beautiful muscle. I ran my hands greedily over his chest and leaned down, trailing kisses down the front of him. Once I had made my way back up to his lips, he flipped us over, still kissing me.

"You're so beautiful." He mumbled, peppering my neck with kisses and sucking on one spot where my neck and shoulder met. I moaned in bliss. "I'm really not...but thank you anyway." I whispered. He pulled back, shaking his head, looking down at me. I didn't give him time to respond, I leaned up slightly, biting his lower lip with my teeth and sucking on it. He moaned softly. I loved that I had this affect on him. I lifted my hips off the bed and removed one of my hands from his hair to unzip my skirt. I wiggled it down my legs and kicked it onto the floor, revealing the matching black thong, before trailing my hands down to the buckle of his pants. I fumbled with the buckle before pushing the pants down. He lifted his legs and helped remove them. He froze suddenly, pulling his lips away from mine and leaning away from me slightly.

"What's the matter?" I asked, stroking the back of his neck and pulling on the ends of his short hair. "I-uh-I'm sorry." He muttered, glancing around the room. "I can't do this. I want to. So bad. But I can't take advantage of you like this." He said in a rush. My face must have looked heartbroken because he leaned down and caressed my cheek.

"If you are sober and still want this then I will not push you away." He promised. I nodded my head still looking at him wide eyed. "Why don't you want to take advantage of me?" I asked. "Everyone else does." He frowned and leaned forward pressing his lips to mine in a chaste kiss.

"Because I respect and care for you to much." He told me. "Why?" I asked in a very childlike voice. He smoothed my hair down. "Because you are amazing." He told me. I didn't say anything else, not fully understanding his answer. He rolled off me and stood up, going over to his dresser. He had on just his boxers. He was even more gorgeous with less clothing on. I moved so I was sitting criss-cross on his bed, looking at him. He shuffled through one of the draws and pulled out a white t-shirt. He walked back over to me and paused in front of me. I lifted my arms up and he pulled the shirt on me before lifting me into his arms. I cuddled into his chest contently and yawned. He pulled back the covers and attempted to lay me down on them.

"I'll go sleep in the guest room, my mom leaves for work around 5:30 so don't worry about her coming in here or anything." He told me, still trying to get me to let go of him.

"No." I whined, holding him tighter. "Don't leave me." He sighed and gave up trying to pull me away from him. I smiled in triumph as he climbed into bed and under the covers next to me. I happily leaned against his chest, resting my right hand on his shoulder. His right arm wrapped around me, holding me to him. I smiled, snuggling closer to him. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"You know, I've never slept in the same bed as a guy before. They usually kindly ask me to leave after sex." I told him. I didn't know where that came from, I usually didn't tell anyone anything about myself that wasn't necessary. His arm tightened around me.

"I would never ask you to leave." He told me. I smiled sadly.

"Thats what they all say." I murmured before shutting my eyes and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

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><p><strong>Okay, there you go. It got a little hot and heavy but the stopped. This story is still rated T but it might change to M...I want to be careful, but I <em>will not<em> be writing a lemon.**

**Please remember to review and check out my Kim and Jared story: _Wonderland_! XX.**


	6. Mornings&Waffles

**Enjoy the chapter & remember to review! I just posted links for this story in my profile so please check those out! XX.**

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><p>I rolled over and groaned. My head hurt so bad. I felt like a truck drove over me. Someone was stroking my arm, it felt nice. <em>What happened last night?<em> I groaned again and buried my head into a warm, hard object. I froze. _That's not my pillow._ I slowly opened my eyes and tilted my head up. I was met with a sleeping Embry. I stifled a gasp and cautiously looked around the room. _This was not my room. This was not my house. _I could only guess it was Embry's.

_Oh shit._

I shut my eyes tight. _What happened last night? _Little flashes came back. Me telling him I wanted to kiss him, me actually kissing him, me stumbling around like the happy drunk I was. I had made such a fool out of myself. I tried to have sex with him. _I fucking tried to have sex with him._

Normally I wouldn't be mad, I had gotten drunk and woken up in random guy's beds before. I have had one night stands, but this was different. For one thing, this was Embry. Huge reason right there. Need I go any further? I knew he liked me, I was teasing him, which maybe fine for others but I couldn't do that to Embry.

Reason number two: I was actually attracted to him. I didn't want to admit it to anyone but I liked knowing he wanted me, I didn't hate him.

Reason three: He rejected me. He shot me down. I know we didn't have sex because he stopped me. No matter how much he seemed to like me, he still didn't want me.

Reason four: I don't cuddle. Okay, this doesn't really have to do with this but right now, I was cuddled up against a very hot, in more ways than one, boy, in his bed. The main problem was, it wasn't that bad. It was nice. I was comfortable. I had never cuddled with a boy before. I had boyfriends and I had sex but it was casual most of the time and it wasn't about feelings.

I made a decision not to move from my spot against Embry. I knew I would have to leave when he woke up but right now I didn't want to deal with it. This was new and exciting. I shut my eyes and thought back more to last night. I remember Embry taking care of me, making sure I didn't fall and that I was safe. I remember us on his bed making out...and then some. I opened my eyes and glanced up at him again.

He looked so peaceful and happy. His lips looked so warm and inviting. I wanted to kiss him again to see if it was as good sober as it was drunk but I controlled myself. I hugged myself a little closer to him, rubbing my foot against his leg. _What the fuck am I doing?_ It was like I had no control over my body. I stopped. He shifted slightly but still looked to be asleep.

He's..._different_. I don't fully understand him. He's not like any other guy I've met. He was a good person. I decided right then and there that I was going to be nice to him. I was going to try my hardest to not be mean to him. Simple enough. He didn't deserve for me to be mean to him. I could be his friend. I could really use a friend.

A couple minutes later I felt warm lips on my forehead. I gasped in surprise, opening my eyes and looking up at him. He blushed slightly. "I...um...thought you were still asleep...sorry." I removed my arm from around him.

"I've been awake for a little while. It's...um...okay." I responded awkwardly, running my hands through my messy hair. He slowly unwrapped his arm from around me and we both sat up and climbed out of the bed in silence. We stood there looking at each other awkwardly. _What was I supposed to do know? These kind of situations were never in Seventeen Magazine!_

"Thanks a lot for last night...really. My parents would have killed me and it was really nice of you." I told him, pulling on the ends of my long hair, a nervous habit of mine. He smiled. "Yeah...it was no problem…" He trailed off, opening his dresser and pulling out a pair of jeans. I averted my eyes as he put them on, trying to give him some sort of privacy. I realized I was only wearing his t-shirt. It was long and definitely to big for me but very comfortable.

"I'll make us some breakfast if you want to meet me downstairs in a little bit…" He trailed off. I nodded my head, eager to have a minute to myself. He backed towards the door, leaving me standing in front of his bed. "Bathrooms across the hall if you want to take a shower or something..." He told me before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. I let out a breath. _When had I become this awkward?_ I grabbed my clothes and left the room so I could take shower. I knew I smelled like all sorts of liquor and I needed a shower to knock some sense into me.

After my shower I pulled my high waisted skirt on, along with my bra and panties. _Where is my shirt? Shit._ My blue shirt was sitting on the ground, covered in water. _Fabulous. _I debated what to do but decided on heading back to Embry's room to find a shirt to wear. I placed the damp shirt on his desk before opening his closet. _He wont mind, right?_ I found a green button-up shirt that looked like it hadn't been worn in a while and would be too small to fit him. I pulled it on. It was just as comfortable as the shirt I had slept in and it had that Embry smell. I smiled, unable to help myself, and buttoned it up. You could still see the bottom of my skirt. I towel dried my hair and inspected myself in the mirror. I was a mess, even with my shower. I had no makeup on and I was in desperate need of a straightener. I rolled up the sleeves of the shirt to my elbows and grabbed my heals that were laying next to the bed. I headed down the stairs.

"In here, Ariana." Embry's voice called from what I assumed was the kitchen. I walked in slowly and gave him a small smile. He gave me a huge smile before he froze, staring at me. I froze too, _what did I do?_ I glanced down. _Oh._

"I…um…my shirt got wet…I didn't think you would mind…I-uh can go put it back on if you want…" I trailed off, biting my lip. He quickly shook his head and unfroze.

"No, no. It's fine...it..um...looks good on you." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. I gave him a half smile, not sure what else to say. He pushed a cup of coffee across the table towards me. I walked forward and took a seat, taking the coffee. It tasted great. I loved people who could make good coffee. It was a deal breaker in any friendship or relationship, which is why Collin knew how to make coffee and exactly how I liked mine.

"Thank you." I mumbled. I leaned forward to see what he was making. He opened the cover on a skillet-like machine to reveal a fully cooked waffle. My eyes lit up and he smiled at my expression. "Waffles are my favorite food." I told him. He grinned, wide.

"Really?" He asked, taking it out of the maker and putting it on a plate with two other waffles. I nodded my head. "Well then you're going to love these, I make the best waffles." He poured the rest of the batter into the pan and shut the lid before walking over to the fridge and taking out a bottle of whip cream. He placed it on the counter next to a bowl of cut up strawberries and grabbed two plates out of the cupboard. I watched as he put some of the whip cream on the edge of one of the waffles. He cut off the piece and held it in front of my face with a fork. I bit my lip.

"Come on." He urged. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday but then I had, had all those drinks last night. It looked so good though. Part way through my argument with myself I decided I wanted it too much and would worry about it later. I opened my mouth and he fed me the bite of waffle.

"Mmm." It was the best waffle I had ever had. He smiled wide as he pulled the fork away from my mouth.

"Good, huh?" He asked. I nodded my head eagerly. He chuckled and opened the waffle machine to take out the waffle he had put in. He added it to the big plate He pulled the one he had given me a bite out of onto a plate and pushed it towards me while grabbing one for his own plate. He poured a bunch of maple syrup on his and dug in. I smiled and pulled pieces of mine off, eating it.

"No syrup?" He asked, looking over at me. I shook my head no. I was eating enough as it was. "Oh come on, it tastes so much better with syrup." He argued. I reached over and dipped a piece of my waffle into his syrup before eating it. He was right but I wasn't going to tell him that. "Eh." I said, shrugging. He smirked.

"Liar." He accused. I shrugged again, taking another bite of my syrup-less waffle. He reached over, holding the syrup container over my innocent food.

"You wouldn't." I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "Oh, but I would, besides, I know you like it." His eyes shinned. He was enjoying this. My mouth popped into an 'O' as he poured the maple syrup all over my delicious waffle.

"Hey!" I giggled, not being able to find it in my heart to be mad. I grabbed his arms, attempting to grab the bottle from him. He laughed with me and wrapped one arm around me, placing the bottle out of my reach, onto the counter. He picked up my fork and held a piece in front my mouth. I opened my mouth and he fed it to me before cutting off another piece.

"You know, if you're going to feed me I would at least like some helicopter noises." I told him, giving him a disapproving look. He moved the fork around making the sounds of a helicopter causing me to laugh. I opened my mouth and he fed me the piece of waffle. It was really good, so good that I was starting to think the extra weight might be worth it.

I reached for the bowl of strawberries and took one, holding in front of his mouth like I was going to feed him. He opened his mouth but at the last second I pulled the strawberry away and put it in my mouth. He mock growled at me causing me to laugh. I took another strawberry out of the dish and put it in my mouth. He shook his head at me.

"No, no, no. Thats not right." He urged taking the whip cream bottle and holding it in front of my mouth. "You have to eat the strawberries with whip cream or else you aren't allowed in my house." I raised my eyebrows at him, calling his bluff.

"What am I? A one night stand?" I asked. "Would you really kick me out?" I pouted. His smiled faltered for a second before he composed himself.

"Well...We didn't have sex so you are _not_ a one night stand." He started. "Not my fault." I muttered, unable to stop myself. He ignored what I said and continued. "But I will kick you out of my house if you don't have whip cream with your strawberries." I opened my mouth to say something else but instead he squirted me with the whip cream. _No he didn't_. I sat in shock, looking up at him.

He leaned closer and closer to me until he was an inch away from my face...more specifically, my mouth. I didn't move. I didn't even breathe. He reached his tongue out and licked the whip cream off my bottom lip. I stayed frozen, looking into his eyes. _Had I never realized how beautiful they were before?_

Now that I knew how good his lips tasted, I wanted to taste them again. I found myself leaning closer to him, unable to stop myself. Our lips brushed against each other's and I snapped out of my daze, pulling back.

"I-I'm sorry...I...um..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. He shook his head and unwrapped his arm from my waist that had gone around me at some point during our banter. "I'm..ah...sorry too...I shouldn't have…" He trailed off as well. We went back to silently eating. _Why had I shot him down?_ I could have kissed him and I'm pretty sure he would have kissed back. I just couldn't make myself do it. I didn't want to get hurt.

I ate almost three quarters of my waffle and a couple more strawberries, no whip cream, before pushing the plate away. Embry gave me a funny look, seeing how he was finishing his third huge waffle and I hadn't even finished one but he didn't say anything. I pulled my boots on from my seat on the stool as I waited for him to finish eating. He finished soon after and I grabbed my plate to bring to the sink but he stopped me.

"I can do that." He said, quietly. I smiled slightly and put the plate down but got up anyway. He gave me a confused look.

"I really need to be going...my parents will be worried if I don't get home soon." I told him. He nodded his head and stood up as well. "I'll drive you." He told me. I opened my mouth to protest but he quickly added, "I want too." I nodded my head and followed him out of the house, him grabbing his keys on the way out. We drove in silence to my house and he stopped the truck in front of it. I unbuckled and turned to face him.

"Thanks so much Embry, really." I told him. He shrugged as if to say, 'no big deal' but it was a big deal. No one had ever been this nice to me, especially when I wasn't nice to them. "Really." I urged, reaching my hand up to put on his cheek, trying to let him know how much it meant to me. "You're such a good guy Embry. You're amazing and I'm sorry it took me this long to see it. I've been trying really hard to be nice to everyone and I promise I'm going to try extra hard to be nice to you. You deserve better than me being a bitch to you." He smiled at me. He was so beautiful. I pulled my hand away and stepped out of the car, heading into my house. I looked back once to see him looking very sadly at my retreating figure. I waved and he smiled and waved back. He didn't pull away until I was in the house and the door was shut. I walked into the kitchen, a note was sitting on the counter.

_Hey Sweetie~_

_Hope you had fun at Kim's!_

_Your father is at work, I'm running errands, _

_and Collin's still sick. Please leave him alone._

_Love you!_

_~Mom_

I sighed and headed upstairs. I opened my brothers room slowly but found he wasn't in there..._again_. His bed was no longer made though, which means he had been back between some point last night and this morning. I walked into my room and sat on my bed, pulling my boots off. I unbuttoned Embry's comfortable shirt and laid it on my bed along with my skirt. I changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top and sat on my bed thinking things through.

_What was that? What was wrong with Embry? Okay, thats an easy one. _He doesn't know when to give up, he cares to much, he pays attention. _Yup._ _Those are real negative qualities right there… _His worst quality: He makes me care. He makes me care not only about him but about everyone else, his friends. He makes me care about myself and I don't like that.

I got up off my bed and went into the bathroom. I was sick to my stomach from the food this morning. It wasn't that it didn't taste good, it tasted amazing, but I had eaten too much and it was too sweet. I lifted the toilet seat, grabbed my toothbrush and stuck the back down my throat, causing me to gag a little. I thrusted the plastic stick further down my throat causing me to vomit everything I had eaten today and hopefully gotten rid of some of the alcohol that was in my system from last night. I pulled away from the toilet, flushed, and wiped my mouth on a towel. I brushed my teeth about ten times and used mouthwash. There was a knock at the door.

"Ri-Ri? Are you okay?" Collin asked. I froze. He wasn't home fifteen minutes ago and I hadn't heard the front door open. "Uh...yeah. I'm fine, I think I just ate something bad." I told him. "Okay...well if you're sure…" He trailed off. I nodded my head but realized he couldn't see me. "Yeah." I said, shutting off the sink and opening the door. I was surprised with what I saw.

Collin.

But not Collin.

_Collin. But not Collin. Huh?_

This _man_ was definitely my little brother. He had the same eyes, tan skin, and concerned look for me that he got on his face sometimes. This Collin was taller._ Much taller. _He had always been tall, we both had, a couple days ago he had been only about two inches taller than me standing at about 5'10, now he looked to be about 6'2. He had more muscles and was just bigger in general.

"Collin?" I whispered, looking up at him, wide eyed. He nodded his head. "Wha-What happened?" I asked. He shrugged turning and walking back into his room across the hall. I followed him, getting angry. "Collin! What the hell?" _Why did he look so different? What was up with the growth spirt? Was he even sick?_ He continued to ignore me, laying down on his bed.

"What happened to you Collin?" I asked sadly, sitting on the end of the bed. "I-is it drugs? Because you don't need that stuff, you don't-"

"It's not drugs, Ari!" He told me. He wasn't a good liar and I knew he was telling the truth. I nodded my head. "I'm fine. Promise. I just had a growth spurt, Dad says it's pretty common for it to happen to Quileutes, it's in our blood." I nodded my head again, looking sadly at him. _What happened to my little brother?_ I got up silently and walked out of the room.

"Ariana!" He whined but I ignored him, locking myself in my bedroom. I pulled off all my clothes, putting on clean underwear and a new bra. Whenever I made myself throw up I felt gross after. I hated myself every time it happened, but at the same time I felt so _accomplished_. I grabbed Embry's shirt from my bed and put it back on, cuddling into it. It was so warm and comforting. I laid down on my bed.

_Do you have any idea what it's like to wake up every single day and feel hopeless?_

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><p><strong>Hope you guys liked this chapter! Some cute Embry and Ari...along with some other not to cute stuff. Next chapter is going to skip forward about a week in advance, <em>I think, <em>and it will be important. I think you guys will enjoy it! **

**So please alert, favorite, and review! It means so much!(:**

**Responses:**

**TooLazyToSignInAgain: Okay, forgot to respond to this last chapter but I am still waiting for you to sign in… Thanks for the compliment and I'm glad you are enjoying both stories.(:**


	7. Kiss&Ditch

**Another chapter for you all! And some more Embry and Ariana, because I know you guys love them. I'm glad some of you are starting to see that she's not all bad!**

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><p>"Okay." Kim said slowly. I turned to look at her. She had an evil glint in her eyes, something I had never seen in someone so innocent. "I'll let you put three blue highlights in my hair." I would have been jumping up and down, squealing with joy, but over this past week I had come to know Kim quite well. I knew she wouldn't let me dye her hair a different color without a very good reason. Because of this, she had me asking, "Whats the catch?" She smirked as if she hoped I would say that.<p>

"Well, you can put three streaks in my hair if you go up to Embry and kiss him. Right now." She said, twirling a piece of her hair as if to taunt me. I glanced across the parking lot at where Embry was standing. He was with all the guys and even a few others were talking with them. "Right now?" I squeaked.

"Yup." She said, nodding her head and popping the 'P'. "Why?" I asked. "Well, I know you like him, even if you wont admit it to yourself, and I know Embry really likes you." I sucked in some air. _How badly did I want highlights on Kim? How badly did I want to kiss Embry?_ "I'll let you put six in my hair if you kiss him and ask him out on a date. Nine if you ask him to be your boyfriend. Right now." I turned back to her wide eyed. _Evil little bitch._ But she was good, I was very proud of her.

"Three streaks. After school." I said, walking away towards the big group of people. Her eyes widened, obviously thinking I wasn't going to give in. "Oh _shit_." She muttered as I walked further away from her. I think that was the first time I had heard her swear. Jared saw me coming first, he looked a bit uneasy and his eyes flickered behind me to, I can only imagine, a terrified looking Kim. Embry seemed to sense me before I was even there and turned slightly, smiling at me.

I had been much friendlier to him over the past week since our _sleepover _but I felt a little awkward around him. I wanted to be more than friends but at the same time I didn't. I didn't want to commit to him and end up screwing up or something. I just wanted to be happy. I reached him and didn't hesitate wrapping my arms around his neck and crushing his lips to mine. I didn't have to have my eyes open to know he was shocked. He wrapped his arms around my waist after a moment and kissed back.

An important fact: Embry call is a fucking fantastic kisser. Sober or drunk. Trust me, I would know. I opened my mouth and flicked my tongue along his bottom lip. He opened his mouth immediately and let our tongues tangle together. I'm not sure how long we kissed but eventually it become slower and sweeter, something I wasn't used too. We finally pulled back but I kept my face close to his, my breathing ragged. He leaned in once more and placed his lips against mine in a short, innocent kiss. When the kiss was done I pulled further away and loosened my arms from his neck. I patted his shoulder awkwardly and nodded my head once.

"Bye." I said before pulling out of his arms and walking away back towards Kim who had her mouth hanging open. I smirked at her, doing my best to make it seem like what just happened was no big deal. It was a big deal. My lips tingled and I could still taste his minty deliciousness on my tongue.

"You _bitch_!" Kim hissed as I walked past her, towards the school. She ran after me, still shocked that I had actually done that.

"Woah Kimberly, two swears in one day? Someone owes two quarters to the swear jar. Tsk, tsk!" I chided, shaking my head in disappointment.

* * *

><p><strong>Jared's Point of View:<strong>

No one said anything. No one even moved. I'm pretty sure half of us weren't blinking and the other half weren't breathing.

"Did that just-"

"Uh-huh." I interrupted Embry. That's right Embry, that did fucking just happen. Ariana. Bitchy, mean Ariana just came out of nowhere and had a make-out session with Embry in front of everyone. We didn't even think she liked him...sober. _What. The. Fuck._

He continued, "You mean I wasn't hallucinating because-"

"Nope." Jacob said. We all stared at her retreating figure. My beautiful Kim was standing next to Ariana's car with her mouth hanging open. Okay, at least we weren't the only ones completely shocked and confused.

_Why can't Kim and I make out like that in the school parking lot?_

"That was…" Embry trailed off, obviously not knowing the right words to describe it.

"Intense?" Quil suggested.

"Unexpected?" Seth volunteered.

"Shocking?" I offered. He nodded his head at all of our suggestions.

"Amazing." He concluded. I smirked. He looked dazed beyond belief, his eyes were dilated, and I could tell he had officially gone to imprint la-la land. Not that I had a permanent membership there or anything...

_What was with her?_ First she hated him, then she was just really sarcastic to him, after that she got drunk and tried to have sex with him - that kept him in a good mood for a couple of days. After she was sober again, she went to being his sorta friend - but you could tell she was being cautious - and now she just made out with him like there was to tomorrow.

_Was it the imprint talking? Had she finally given in?_ She didn't look like she had given in. She looked a little dazed at first but then she looked...accomplished. I need Kim.

"I'm..ah...going to go find Kim." I muttered, walking away from the shocked group. I walked as fast as I could, without drawing attention, into the school building to find my Kim. She was standing by her locker, like most mornings, only this time she had her hands over her eyes. I quickly went over to her and wrapped one arm around her waist, the other tugged on her arms getting her to take them away from her beautiful eyes.

"Whats the matter?" I asked quickly, inspecting her to see if something was physically wrong with her. "I can't believe I just did that. I am a horrible, horrible person." She whispered. I gave her a confused look.

"What? Huh? No, you're an amazing person! What happened?" I asked, rubbing her arm comfortingly. She blinked a couple times and looked a little far off, as if she was remembering something. "I-I can't believe I told her to do that. I can't believe she actually did it. Oh my god, Embry's going to hate me!" She said in a panicky voice, her eyes flashing to mine.

"Woah, woah, woah!" I urged, trying to make her calm down. "No one hates you. Just tell me what happened." She looked very panicked and it was scaring me. _What had she done? _"I...oh my God...I told Ari to go kiss Embry and I would let her dye part of my hair blue. Oh shit, I can't believe I just did that!" I shushed her and held her closer to me, resting her head on my chest.

"It's fine."_ Wow, I can't believe she did that either. What has happened to my innocent imprint? Oh yeah, hung out with Ariana._ "Embry wont be mad, that was probably the highlight of his life. It's really okay, Kimmy." I did my best to convince her. She shook her head against my chest.

"No. He's going to get the wrong idea that she wants to be with him, and I think she does, she just wont admit it. Oh crap, I can't believe I did that."

I couldn't help but laugh at her. She was so worried over, what I thought, was nothing. She might have seen the kiss from a distance but I saw it right up close with werewolf eyes. There was nothing faked about that kiss. You can't fake chemistry like that. Ariana would come around eventually. She was an imprint after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View:<strong>

I really can't believe I did that. _What kind of person am I?_ Making out with someone for hair dye. Might as well be a prostitute. Worst was it was Embry. Sweet, nice Embry. I was leading him on and that was one of the worst things I could ever do. It wasn't fair to him. I wanted to find him and apologize. I wanted to tell him it was a mistake and I shouldn't have done that, but at the same time I didn't want too. It didn't feel like a mistake, it felt amazing. It felt right. _Why should I apologize for something that feels right?_

Life is so confusing right now. Everything with Collin and now Embry. Life back in Rhode Island was never like this. I was on top of my game, I didn't care about others feelings. If my friends from there could see me now…

I was a mess. Worse than ever, but at the same time even better. I had been cautious around Embry the past week. I was nice to him but I tried my best not to be too flirty or lead him on. Sure, I liked him and I was attracted to him but I could never date him.

There were some things I would do to him though: I would happily kiss him, tongue or no tongue. I would give him a blow job. I would have sex with him. I would be his permanent fuck-buddy. I would...never mind. Back to the point here.

The point is that Embry is so nice to me. He's so sweet and he cares but I don't want to get hurt. All the guys are nice and sweet, they give you compliments, they make you feel special, and then they go and hurt you. Emotionally _and_ physically sometimes. I don't want that. I don't want that again.

I stayed in the bathroom for all of art class just to avoid Embry and think things through. By the time chemistry came around I knew I had to go to class. If you missed more than two classes in a day then you got a call home. Besides, Kim was in that class and I had something to tell her. I walked out of the bathroom and managed to avoid all of the boys as I headed straight to chemistry. I got into the room and took my usual seat next to Kim, she was already sitting there looking a bit uneasy but smiled as I sat down.

I didn't have time to talk to her, as the teacher immediately started teaching, so I ripped out a piece of notebook paper and wrote down the main idea of what I wanted to tell her. I slid the note over to her and she glanced at it before turning to me.

"What do you mean you're not dying my hair blue?" She hissed, reading back what I had written on the note. I shrugged and put on my mask to hide my emotions. "Kissing someone because you want something from someone else isn't right. I don't _want_ to dye your hair." I said, calmly. I took the worksheet from the kid next to me and passed the pile to Kim, pretending I didn't see her shocked, wide-eyed stare directed at me.

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><p>Later that night Collin knocked on my door before walking into my room. I hadn't even told him to come in. Just because you were over six feet tall didn't mean you could do whatever you wanted. Okay, it kinda did but don't tell him that. I glared and he must have caught on because he slowly backed out of my room and shut the door. A moment later there was a light knock.<p>

"Yes?" I sang, fully amused that my power over Collin hadn't changed with his new size and attitude. "Um...it's Collin. Can I come in?" He asked. I noticed his voice had changed slightly as well. It was still young and happy but it had gotten a little deeper, not enough to say he had gone fully through puberty...though looking at his body, you would think he had…

"Suree…" I drawled out. He opened the door and walked back into the room smiling sheepishly. No matter how big he was, he still had that goofy, lovable, little brother vibe to him. I couldn't help but give him a small smile. He came over and laid on the bed next to me.

"So, Ri-Ri. I heard you gave everyone a little show today in the school parking lot…" He trailed off, looking up at me expectantly. He was too sick not to go to school for almost two weeks but could gossip? _Good to know._ "Maybe…" I mumbled, still not proud of myself. He chuckled.

"I can't believe you made out with him...and if front of everyone. Damn, Ari, you're a bitch sometimes but you've got balls and I respect that." He said appreciatively, nodding his head. I couldn't help the smirk and the small laugh that came out of my mouth. Collin could always make me laugh, he always seemed to be able to put me in a good mood.

"Can I ask why though? What were you thinking? Because, you and I both know that you don't want a relationship with him." He asked. I glanced at him warily trying to decide what to tell him. Collin knew more about me than anyone and whenever I needed someone to talk to I always went to him.

"Okay. Don't go all protective little brother on me or anything because we both know you aren't like that…" I trailed off. He shrugged and nodded his head in agreement. "Well, the night of Cole's party...you know Cole right?" I didn't wait for his answer. "Well, I had a little to much to drink and Embry brought me to his house so I wouldn't get in trouble and...well...I couldn't help myself…" I trailed off. He nodded his head.

"It's okay, I know what happened and I'm not mad or anything. I know he stopped and didn't take advantage of you or anything." He told me. _How the hell did he know?_ I ignored that and continued.

"Well, I don't totally hate him Collin. I really like him actually. He's really nice to me and guys aren't usually like that." I stopped abruptly not really sure where I was going with this. "But I did something really bad Collin. I made a really big mistake and I hate myself for it." I looked at him to make sure he was still paying attention. He was looking at me intently as if to figure out what I could have possibly done. I was mean to people, I had done things I shouldn't have, I had done things _illegal _and never had any remorse. He was probably wondering what was so bad that I had done that could possibly make me feel bad.

"I really wanted to put blue highlights in Kimberly's hair and so she told me that if I went over and kissed Embry than she would let me." His eyes widened slightly at my confession. "I felt so bad afterwards. I refused to give her highlights. I can't believe I did that to him. I lead him on and I feel horrible." I admitted. Collin was frowning at me.

"But you wanted to kiss him." He didn't asked, just stated. I opened my mouth to deny that but he cut me off. "We both know that you wouldn't have done something you didn't really want to do." I grimaced, he was right. I did want to kiss Embry.

"He's a really good kisser." I muttered in self defense. Collin let off a booming laugh. "What am I going to do with you?" He mumbled, shaking his head. I bit my tongue reminding myself not to answer since it was clearly a rhetorical question.

"I think you should give him a chance." Collin said slowly. My eyes bugged out._ Was he seriously giving me relationship advice? _"I know he really likes you and I know he's not going to give up… Maybe it would be good for you to try an actual relationship, at least for a little while, it might be nice to have someone there for you…" He trailed off looking hopeful and I averted my eyes away from his. _Yeah, that might be nice._

"I don't want to get hurt." I whimpered, turning back to him. His, now older looking face, softened. "I don't think he'd ever hurt you Ri's, he really likes you, I don't think he could break your heart." I frowned. Part of me wanted to know why Collin cared so much but the other part was just happy somebody cared at all.

"Thats not fully what I'm worried about…" I muttered. I thought I had said it to soft for him to hear but his head snapped up and he became more alert. "What do you mean? You think...he would...h-hurt you? Actually hurt you?" I bit my lip and shrugged.

"I-I don't know, Collin. He's big, really big, you all are. I don't want to get hurt." I told him softly. His eyes narrowed and he moved into a sitting position. He seemed very tense, the joking, boyishness about him was gone.

"Ariana." He said in a soft but tight voice. _Oh shit, full name._ "Have you been hurt by someone before?" He asked, still in the soft but tight voice. To be honest it scared the shit out of me. _When had he become this menacing? _My eyes widened as I starred into his stone, cold ones. I didn't know how to answer that. I wasn't going to deny it, but I certainly wasn't going to admit it. We had a stare down and eventually he shut his eyes. He looked deep in thought.

"Your last official boyfriend was Logan…" He trailed off and looked at me. "I liked Logan." I muttered. "But then you were on and off with that other guy...Alex?" He continued. I didn't like him. Was it him? Did he hurt you?" By the end of his questions, his voice had turned into a growl. I dropped my eyes away from his. "Answer me!" He roared. I flinched away from him. This was the first time Collin had even raised his voice at me. He looked scary, animalistic. I couldn't even find my voice. I found myself nodding, not even sure what to do.

Then I noticed the shaking. He was vibrating and if he wasn't snarling and glaring at me I would have thought he was having a seizure. I was too shocked and scared to ask what was wrong. He was practically vibrating. I had never seen anything like it. He jumped off my bed and sprinted out of my room. I heard his pounding feet on the stairs and the front door open then slam. I sat frozen not knowing what else to do.

* * *

><p><strong>Collin's Point of View:<strong>

_That fucker. He hurt her._

_What did he do to her?_

I picture him hitting her, beating her. _Did he rape her? Did he call her names?_ I wasn't sure. She never told me and I didn't think she ever would. She never told anyone anything. I sprinted out of the house the second Emily's scarred face popped into my mind. I wasn't going to hurt her. I barely made it into the woods before bursting into a wolf, clothes and all.

_Woah, Collin._

_What the-?_

I pushed myself to run faster. I wanted to kill him. I was going to kill him. I would run all the way to Rhode-Freaking-Island if I had too. He was going to die. He was going to die a slow, painful death if he ever thought he could hurt her, in anyway. She's such a good sister, she was my role model. I looked up to her more than she realized and to find out someone who you respect so much has been hurt...it messes you up.

_Collin. Stop. _

_Fuck. _That was Sam's ordering voice._ Stupid fucking Alpha._

_Collin!_

I whimpered in response and felt my legs buckle from under me. I fell to the ground in response. But I wanted to kill Alex. I wanted to kill him. _Why didn't he understand this?_ If it was Emily or Leah or someone important to him he wouldn't hesitate.

_Collin. What happened? I can only pick out pieces from your thoughts. Calm down. _He soothed. _Tell us what happened._

I focused on calming myself. I was nowhere near calm enough to phase back from a wolf but I had to get calm enough to tame my wolf. _He...he hurt her_. I managed to get out. I knew others were phased but I couldn't focus in on their thoughts to see who they were. I couldn't even focus on mine.

_Who hurt who, Collin?_ Sam asked. To give him credit, he was being very patient with me and I doubt it was easy to be patient with a werewolf. He let out a small wolfy chuckle. _Years of practice._

I started to get more control of my mind. _Embry? _I asked timidly. I wanted to know if he was phased. I found the essence of his mind easily. _Yeah?_ He asked. I could sense the worry that I had addressed him directly. His mind flashed to Ariana before focusing back on me. I let out another whimper, thinking about her. At my thoughts, Embry dashed in the direction of my house.

_Is she hurt? Is she okay? _His thoughts asked in a rush. _She's fine. _I thought directed to him._ I want him out of my head right now._ I ordered, even though I was in no place to order anyone to do anything. Low wolf on the totem pole. Actually, last wolf. I_ really need to do something about that… _My thoughts were interrupted by a growling Embry.

_What? No. Why? _He asked, still heading towards my house but at a much slower pace. I did my best to lock my thoughts. I wasn't saying - thinking - anything until he was gone. I didn't want him to see this.

_Embry, phase out._ Sam told him. It wasn't in his alpha voice but you could tell that he still expected it to be respected. Before Embry could complain, Sam continued. _Go see Ariana. Invite her to the cookout on Sunday. _He urged. Unsurprisingly, Embry didn't need much convincing to leave. We all knew he would take any excuse to see Ari.

As soon as he was gone I let my thoughts spill out. I showed the phased wolves my conversation with Ari. Some whimpered and growled in shock. When I was finished I laid my muzzle down on the ground, pulling my paws over my head.

_I know you want to kill him, but you can't. He's on the other side of the country and will never hurt her again. You also don't know what he did exactly. _I whimpered, causing him to sigh._ I'm sorry Collin, I know she's important to you, but you didn't know, it wasn't your fault and it wont ever happen again._ I whimpered again in response.

_Someone has to tell Embry._

_Not-it._ Quil's thought sounded.

* * *

><p><strong>Embry's Point of View:<strong>

I dashed out of the forrest in nothing but my cut off jeans. My mind was buzzing with what Collin could possibly be so worked up about, but my want and excitement in seeing Ariana overpowered any concern I had for her brother. She was standing on the back porch, looking off into the woods. When she saw me her eyes lit up and she smiled, casing me to become ecstatic, but she soon put on a straight face and hid her true emotions. I lived for those little bursts of emotions that she showed me every once in a while. I jogged up the steps to meet her.

"Hey." I said happily. She gave me a tight smile before looking back out into the forrest. "Have you seen Collin?" She asked worriedly. _Yes. He was in my mind, wolfing around. _"Um...yeah, he was running through the woods. I think he wants to join track." I told her. I mentally slapped myself._ Why do I have such stupid answers for everything?_ She looked at me, slightly confused. I couldn't lie to her and tell her I hadn't seen him as a wolf and Collin had said he wanted to join track before this werewolf nonsense. She chose not to comment on what I said.

"I made him really mad. He was shaking really hard, I could practically feel him vibrating." She whispered. I wanted to kill Collin for almost phasing that close to her. If anyone ever hurt her they would be dead, no questions asked, no exceptions. I recognized the soft tone in her voice was her being scared. She had been scared of Collin.

"I'm sorry…" I said softly. "I don't think he's mad at you." I reassured her to the best of my ability. My body itched to hug her. I wanted to reach out, wrap my arms around her, and never let go. I refrained because I didn't want to push her too much. My lips still tingled from when she kissed me earlier. I wanted to kiss her again. I wanted to feel her warm lips against mine but I wasn't going to push her.

"I think he hates me." She said sadly. A wolf howled deep in the forrest causing her to jump. She reached out a grabbed my arm. I shuffled a little closer to her. "He doesn't hate you, Ariana, he thinks your so great. Can't you tell how he looks up to you? He could never hate you." I soothed, reaching up and rubbing the arm that was holding mine. She shook her head, still looking upset.

"Hey, it's okay, Ariana. He's not mad and I'll beat him up for you if he is." I promised, pulling her into a hug. She froze for two long seconds before relaxing and resting her head on my chest. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked in the same soft, comforting voice. I was nosy and she was my imprint, I wanted to know but not if knowing wasn't what she wanted. She shook her head no.

"I don't want anyone knowing." She whispered. I felt bad. Everyone was going to know because Collin phased. "Okay." I urged. "You don't have to tell me." She seemed relieved that I wasn't going to push her into telling me. I would never do that to her. I wanted her to like me, to be comfortable around me.

"I came because the guys wanted me to ask you to come to Sam and Emily's on Sunday for a cookout." I tried to make it sound as laid back as possible. She pulled back slightly but not fully out of my arms, smirking up at me. "_Thee_ famous Sam and Emily?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows. I cracked a smile. Okay, so we as a pack might talk about our leader and mama-wolf a little to much, and _maybe_ my gorgeous imprint had picked up on that. "In the flesh." I stated with a smirk. She smiled a real smile up at me, not a sarcastic or fake one. Her real smile made me smile more.

"You guys really want me to come?" She asked. I nodded my head avidly, any excuse to spend more time with her. "Of course." She reached up and pulled on a piece of her hair.

"I can hang out with you guys?" She asked again. I nodded my head again. "Wouldn't have it any other way." I informed her. She grinned wider. "Okay!" She agreed happily. _She agreed to hang out with me outside of school!_ Okay, maybe not me specifically, but I would be there! Another howl rang through the woods and she dug her nails into my forearms. I held back a moan but after another long howl I knew they were calling me. It wasn't a 'danger-vampires-are-coming-rawr' call, it was a more 'get-your-tail-over-here-or-you're-running-extra-patrols-for-a-week' call. I pulled back from her, much to my disappointment.

"I've got to go but I'll see you tomorrow and don't worry about Collin, he'll be normal again by later tonight." I assured her. Unable to stop myself I kissed her forehead and backed away towards the woods giving her a slight wave. She stood frozen before cautiously raising her hand and wiggling her fingers in goodbye. I smiled wide. _Thata girl._

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><p><strong>Love it? Hate it? Review! <strong>

**I also, if you didn't notice, changed this story to M because I want to be careful. I wont write any lemons and the scene if chapter 4: Parties&Sleepovers is the farthest I will write, I think. I will let you guys know if that changes but I just want to be safe and not have the FF police after me.(:**


	8. Betrayal&Boyfriends

**Next chapter! I don't think this is my_ best_ chapter but you get to see a little bit of Ari's soft side so enjoy that while it's here.**

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><p>I drummed my fingers on the hood of my car while I leaned up against it. I let out a deep breath as the phone beeped.<p>

"Hey Shana...it's me...Ariana...I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a while but I really need my best friend right now. I know you're in class but could you please forgive me for not talking to you sooner and call me after school?" I paused for a couple of long moments. "I miss you." I added before hanging up. It had been a week since I talked to her and I hoped she wasn't mad at me. I wasn't purposefully trying to ignore her but things came up and people were around...I've been busy.

I glanced over at Embry, my brother, and their friends. I hadn't talked to Collin since he had ran outside yesterday. I had sat in my living room and waited up late to talk to him, so when he walked inside I could apologize, but instead I woke up the next morning, in my bed, with no clue how I got there. After getting ready and going downstairs, I found out Collin had left early to walk to school. Collin never voluntarily walked to school, which meant he was avoiding me. I felt even more helpless then ever.

Brady made eye contact with me and sent me a cautious, but friendly, wave. I considered ignoring it and just turning away but an annoying voice in the back of my head told me to smile and wave back. So I did. _Good girl_. I put the phone in my bag and started to head towards the guys.

Jared looked guilty and Kim was completely focused on stroking his hand. Embry was staring at a spot on the ground which was weird since he never ignored me and was always the first one to sat hello. I looked around cautiously at the other guys. Everyone was silent. I felt like I had walked into a conversation that I wasn't welcome in. I locked eyes with Collin.

"You didn't wait for me this morning...I would have given you a ride." I said softly, giving him a smile. He smiled tightly back but didn't say anything. It was too quiet for this group. I glanced over at Jake who was looking at me softly with a small frown on his face. "Are you still mad at me, Collin?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly. If he had given me a chance to apologize he wouldn't be, he can't be mad at me if he's the one ignoring me.

"I was never mad at you." He said, probably sounding harsher then he intended. I flinched and Seth reached out, patting him on the shoulder. Then something dawned on me. I froze for a moment and glanced back around the circle. They couldn't even look at me and the few who were had looks of pity on their faces. _Pity. _

"You...you told them." I stuttered out, not even bothering to hide my hurt and betrayal like I normally would. I took a step back, away from them. Quil looked away from his spot on the ground and up to me apologetically. I shook my head at him, at all of them. "Aria…" Collin trailed off.

"I-I trusted you and you told them. How could you?" I asked, in a voice just above a whisper. "That was personal and you went and told _your_ friends. I'm your sister. How could you do this to me?" Betrayal is one of the most hurtful things a person can do to you.

"We're your friends too, not just Collin's." Brady muttered out. I shook my head at him. "Nuh-uh. If you were my friends, you wouldn't be looking at the ground and those of you who are looking at me, wouldn't be looking at me with pity. You guys aren't _my_ friends." I told them, still in my soft voice. Somehow I think it meant more to them than if I had been screaming. "I hate you." I said in a bit of a firmer voice, directed at Collin. He looked heartbroken but I couldn't care less because, at that moment, I meant it. I turned away from them and made a dash to my car.

_How could he?_

* * *

><p>I didn't cry.<p>

I wanted to but I didn't.

Crying is showing weakness and is embarrassing. I was embarrassed enough for one day. I was never going to talk to them again. I thought I could be friends with them but how could I be friends with people who looked down on me, who knew things about me no one else knew. I still can't believe Collin told them. He had never betrayed me before, now I would never trust him again. _How could he chose people he met two weeks ago over me? _I would always pick him over others, I would always protect him, and never share things about him that he wouldn't want others knowing.

After getting in my car, I had driven to first beach. I didn't want to be around anyone ever again. I sat on the beach for hours just looking out into the water. The water was so calm and at one point it had started drizzling but I didn't care. At some point, a couple hours into my sitting, someone sat down next to me. I knew it was Embry without even looking at him.

"I'd say I'm sorry but I know thats not what you want to hear." Embry said softly. I nodded my head slowly. "I'd say you know me so well but you really don't." I shot back. A couple minutes later he spoke up.

"I know." He mumbled in defeat. "I only know what you've told me and what I've observed but I want to know everything and I'll remember whatever you tell me." He promised. I sighed, leaning forward and resting my head in my hands. It wasn't Embry's fault, it was Collin's, but Embry still knew which was horrible. I was really starting to like Embry and my favorite part about him was that he liked me too, really liked me. He didn't seem fake and he wasn't using me, now he would want nothing to do with me.

His warm arms reached out and snaked around my waist, pulling me onto his lap. I didn't have the energy to push away or fight with him, or maybe I just didn't want to. I cuddled up into his lap and pressed my face into his neck. I didn't want to look at him, I didn't want to see his disappointment. I didn't want to know how disgusted he was with me. He ran his hands through my hair and placed a kiss on my cheek. It was actually really calming. A little bit of my panic went away.

"I know it doesn't mean or change anything, but I'm sorry anyway." He said softly. I nodded my head against his neck. "And I don't think any differently of you." He added quietly. I froze before pulling back to look up at him. He smiled down at me, he didn't look disgusted.

"You're a good guy." I whispered. He smiled wide at my statement and I laid my head back down against his neck. We sat like this for a long time, just the two of us, and I had never been more content. He just ran his fingers through my hair, calming me, and it felt amazing.

"Ariana?" He asked, sounding a little nervous. "Would you go out on a date with me?" He studied my face and looked hopeful but scared. I froze for the second time and moved myself off his lap. When I glanced up at his face he looked absolutely heartbroken. I sighed.

"Embry… You really don't want to go on a date with me…" I started off, but before I could continue, he spoke up. "It's just one date, have dinner with me or we can go to a movie, whatever you want." I sighed again and slowly shook my head no.

"If it was just one date Embry then yeah, I would say yes, but it wouldn't be just one date for you. I know guys like you, they want commitment and...shit, Embry, I suck at relationships. I can't do the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing." I shook my head apologetically. He grabbed both my hands in his.

"Maybe you weren't good at the boyfriend-girlfriend thing with other people because you hadn't found the right boyfriend. I really like you, Ariana, a lot. Please just give me a chance." He pleaded. He had those gorgeous puppy-dog eyes and I considered caving. When I didn't answer he continued. "Okay, how about you give me a week." He suggested. I shot him a confused look.

"A week? To do what?" I asked. "To be your boyfriend. Let me be your boyfriend for a week and then you can decide if you really don't want me." I pulled one of my hands out of his so I could reach up and pull on the ends of my hair. "What would being your girlfriend entail?" I asked slowly. His eyes lit up knowing I was considering this idea.

"Well…" He paused to think about it. "I can hold your hand," He said giving the hand he was holding a squeeze, "I can hug you," He continued, pulling my closer to him and putting an arm around me, "Maybe kiss you, if that's alright?" He suggested. I nodded my head slowly before even realizing what I was doing. He became more confident and continued on. "I can sit with you at lunch and I can tell you how amazing you are. I get to call you Ari or Ri-Ri and we see each other outside of school. I also bring you coffee every morning." I perked up at the end of his little speech.

"One week?" I asked softly. He nodded his head. "Think of it as a demo or a trial-run." He suggested. "If you decide by the end of the week that you want me to be your permanent boyfriend then you know I will say yes." I found myself nodding again.

"Okay." I agreed. His eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" He said excitedly. "You'll be my girlfriend?" By how happy he was, I wouldn't be surprised if he stood up and did a little happy dance. I nodded my head and didn't have the heart to remind him that it was only for one week. He wrapped his other arm around me in a hug and rested his cheek on top of my head.

"I promise it wont be that bad, I'll be the best boyfriend you could ever get stuck with." He promised me. "Mhm." I agreed a smile playing on my lips. That was weird to think._ I had a boyfriend..._

"School just ended, you might want to head home…" He trailed off. I nodded my head and he stood up, leaving me cold, before offering me his hand. After pulling me up, we headed towards my car in silence. My house was only ten minutes away from the beach so we arrived to my home pretty quickly. We both got out and started to head towards the door. By the time we reached my door we had both gravitated towards each other and I was pressed up against his side.

"You'll come inside and hang out?" I asked hopefully. He pulled his phone out to check the time before nodding his head. "Yeah, but I can only stay for a half an hour, I have work." He responded. I nodded my head and took his hand, pulling him inside. _What are you supposed to do with your boyfriend?_ I usually just have sex with them but I didn't think that was going to work with Embry…

"You want to watch something on television?" I suggested. He nodded his head. "I can go get us some food and you can pick something to watch." I smiled and he nodded his head again and headed into the television room.

Boyfriend. _Boyfriend_. Boy. Friend. _Boy-Friend_. Embry.

I decided it was a little weird but that it wasn't that bad and that the thought of it didn't really make me scared. The microwave beeped and I pulled the plate of pizza rolls out and headed towards the living room. Embry was flipping through the channels and paused when he saw me.

"Do I get to cuddle with you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. His eyes lit up and he nodded his head avidly. "Yup! You have too, one of the rules of being my girlfriend." He said, looking mock-apologetic. I rolled my eyes but sat down next to him, cuddled into his side. He wrapped his arm around me protectively and placed a kiss on my temple. I placed the plate of food on his knee.

"So there are rules? Should I have known about these before accepting your offer?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him. He shrugged and picked up one of the pizza bites, popping it in his mouth. I leaned my head against his warm chest and wrapped my right arm around him in a partial hug. He held one of the pizza bites in front of my mouth, looking at my expectantly. I scrunched my nose and shook my head.

"Come on, I know for a fact that you didn't have lunch." He urged, still waving the food in front of my face. "Uhh...I've never actually had one...it looks gross." I said, sticking my tongue out at the food. He chuckled softly. "How have you never had a pizza roll? You have not lived, dearest Ariana. Come on, just try one, if you hate it and throw it up, I'll even hold back your hair for you." He joked. I froze for a split second then took it from him just to prove that I wouldn't throw it up. I chewed it cautiously and was surprised that it actually tasted really good.

"That's wicked good!" I said, happily. He chuckled and held another in front of my mouth. This time I ate it right out of his fingers, causing him to smirk. I then picked up the remote and flipped through the channels, stopping on an episode of _Castle_. He offered me another one but I shook my head no and concentrated on the television show. I may have looked like I was concentrating, but in reality, I couldn't focus at all. Embry was playing with my hair, twirling a piece around one of his big fingers and giving it a little tug. It felt nice but it was incredibly distracting.

"It's the assistant." I muttered and he paused. "What?" He asked. I glanced up at him to see he was looking at me, _was he not even bothering to pay attention to the show?_ "The murderer. It's the assistant." I repeated, glancing back at the television. He studied the show for a couple minutes. "How do you know?" He asked, perplexed, obviously still trying to figure it out.

"All these cop shows almost always show the killer in the first ten minutes and then bring them back in the last twenty, or at least thats what I've observed. He greeted them at the office in the beginning and now he's getting coffee. It's him. He killed the girl and I bet it's because he was jealous, she probably was going to be getting a job promotion or something and he didn't want her around." I mumbled, becoming more engrossed in the show now that a certain boy wasn't pulling on my hair.

"I think thats a stupid reason to kill someone, I can think of much better reasons to want to kill." I continued. He tightened his arm around me and pulled on started playing with my hair again. "Really?" He asked, popping another pizza roll into his mouth. "Like what?" I smirked up at him.

"Like someone pulling on my hair." I said casually. He tugged on one of the long pieces a little harder then started wrapping it around his finger. "But it's soft." He argued. I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, but you know what isn't soft? A dead body." The grin he had been trying to hold back came out in full force.

"You know, Ari, you don't have to put on that act with me. I wont tell anyone that you're actually sweet and nice and cute. Promise." He said, running his fingers through my hair again. I let my eyes flutter shut and slumped my head back against his chest. He was so warm and comfortable. "You think I'm cute?" I whispered. He chuckled softly and kissed my forehead.

"Yeah, incredibly so, you're like a cute little puppy." He explained. I scowled up at him. "A gorgeous, kick-ass puppy." He corrected. My face softened slightly as I leaned my head back against his chest. I liked cuddling with him, he made me forget about all my worries, and he called me gorgeous, that part made me smile slightly.

"I'm not a puppy." I grumbled. He better not be smirking. Embry didn't answer which meant he was probably smirking. I resisted the urge to growl. We continued watching the show until Embry's phone went off. I glanced up at his face and got to witness as it turned from blissfully calm to annoyed and saddened.

"Fine. I'm going. Whatever." He growled into the phone before slamming it shut. He glanced down at me apologetically. "I'm late for work. I've got to go." He muttered. I nodded my head and surprised myself that I actually felt sad about it. He put the now empty plate on the coffee table and unwrapped himself from around me, leaving me cold. I think I must have had a hurt expression on my face because he pulled me up with him and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I wrapped my arms around him as well and couldn't help burying my face into his chest.

"Thanks." I said as we pulled away. "For what?" He asked. I paused, I didn't really know how to answer that question. "I'm not really sure, but you definitely did something." I said, shrugging my shoulders. He smiled a wide, accomplished smile and leaned down, resting his forehead on mine.

"Does that mean I get a kiss?" He asked. I scrunched my nose and pulled away from him. "Nope, maybe tomorrow. You're late for work. Bye." I pulled out of his arms and sat back down on the couch. He rolled his eyes and walked around the back of the couch, placing a kiss on the top of my head, and heading for the door.

"Hey Embry?" I asked, turning around. He stopped and looked back. I pointed to the television screen just as the assistant was confessing to killing the girl. He smirked and shrugged. "Maybe she pulled his hair?" He suggested before opening the front door and shutting it behind him.

_Maybe._

I turned back to the screen as the man yelled about how he deserved the promotion and was so much better then the girl he had murdered. I nodded my head._ Jealousy indeed_.

* * *

><p>When Collin had come home from school I had stormed past him refusing to speak to him or even acknowledge he was there. Instead, I had gone upstairs and sat in my room the entire evening, but I grew thirsty and hungry. Really thirsty and really hungry. I slipped out of my room and noticed Collin's door was open, he wasn't inside the room which meant he could be downstairs, but there was also a good chance he wouldn't be home. He was never home anymore.<p>

I walked down the stairs as quietly as I could so that if he was here he wouldn't corner me and get me to listen or talk to him. I wasn't doing that today and probably not tomorrow. I paused when I heard his angry voice.

"...it wasn't her fault, I made her leave, there was...danger...near the school and I didn't want her to get hurt. I forced her to leave. She went to Emily's for a little bit then came back here. She'll make up her work, no harm done. Just don't say anything to her, it took a long time to convince her to leave…"

Was he seriously trying to get me out of trouble for skipping school? Mom and Dad weren't stupid. They weren't going to buy that there was 'danger' that was coming after me so I had to leave early. To my surprise my mom sighed and said: "Okay." While my dad asked: "Did you guys get...it?" _Get what?_ I can't believe they fell for that.

I slipped into the kitchen and put some pizza rolls on a plate before warming them up. _They really were good… _

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><p><strong>Please review! It means a lot!<strong>


	9. Happy&Nice

**Next chapter! This ones a little out there and I hope it's alright. Let me know if it was too weird and I need to delete it.(: XX.**

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><p>I stepped out of the car and looked everywhere but the direction I knew they were standing in. Collin got out of the passenger seat and stood next to me as if waiting for something to happen. I had driven him to school this morning which he seemed very surprised about. I still hadn't talked to him but I decided that I could be mean and not drive him or I could be nice which would make him feel worse. Right now, I was all for making young Collin feel as horrible as possible.<p>

"Ariana?" He asked. When he realized I wasn't going to answer, he continued. "Are you going to come over to see everyone? They all want to see you." I resisted the urge to turn and tell him that they didn't want to see me because they hated me and I was broken. No one likes broken girls. No one likes bitchy girls. And I was both. He sighed when he realized I wasn't going to answer him and wasn't going to come with him either.

"Ariana!" That was a different voice. A voice that made me perk up and a small smile appear on my face. I knew Collin was watching my expression change but he didn't walk away until after Embry had me wrapped in a hug. I leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He grinned goofily down at me, making me giggle, before leaning down and kissing me. I let this kiss last a couple seconds more than our last one before pulling away. Embry glanced in the direction Collin had gone, over at his friends.

"You're really not gonna talk to him?" He asked. I huffed but didn't say anything on the subject. "I'm not gonna push it but he does feel really bad." He defended. I narrowed my eyes.

"Whose side are you on, Embry?" I snapped. He was my boyfriend, he should be on my side. "Yours." He quickly answered, reassuring me. "I'll always be on your side, I just was stating a fact." He added. I nodded my head slowly but could tell he meant the words. It was nice to have someone who would be on my side. "I think you're the only person who would chose me over my brother." I told him truthfully.

"Well maybe if you weren't mean to potential friends that wouldn't be the case." He said. I opened my mouth to say something, probably rude, but he interrupted. "Coffee?" He asked, holding up the cup he had placed on the hood of my car when he first hugged me. I happily took it.

"I like this. I might even keep you around for two weeks." I said, winking at him. His whole face grew ecstatic and I internally yelled at myself for getting his hopes up. I sipped at the coffee happily and he wrapped his arms a little tighter around my waist.

"Come on, lets go see everyone." He urged, starting to pull me away. "No!" I insisted, panicky, digging my heals into the ground to stop us. He sighed. "Why not, Ari? They wont eat you and you have coffee to keep you occupied." I made a protesting sound in the back of my throat.

"Please don't make me go, I don't want to see them." I begged. He stopped and sighed. "Come on, Ari, you don't have to talk to them. They want to see you." He urged, inching a little closer to the group. I shook my head again. "They don't want to see me. They don't like me. Please don't make me go." I begged _again_. He sighed _again_.

"I'll take you somewhere fun after school…" He offered. _Fun?_ I wanted to go somewhere fun but I didn't want to go somewhere near his friends. "What kinda fun?" I asked in a small voice. The only person I had hung out with outside of school was Kim, once, and she probably didn't want to hang out with me again. He smiled wide, knowing he had won and started dragging me towards his friends, his arm around my waist.

"Relationships are about making compromises." He said in a sing-song like voice. I scowled at him but let him bring me over to the boys and Kim. I stood silently, tucked under his arm, drinking my coffee, and staring at the ground. I didn't care how much of a baby or a scaredy-cat it made me, I was not looking at them. The bell rang letting us know we had ten minuted before homeroom. Most people waited around for the five minute bell before they went inside but, right now, school was more appealing then being around them.

"Emb? Can I go now?" I asked. "Please?" I added as an afterthought. The nicer I was to him, the more he let me do and the more he seemed to like me. He smiled at the nickname and I think just because I added please, he nodded his head yes. "I'll come with you." He said, and for that I was grateful because to tell you the truth, being alone sucks.

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><p>"Riana!" Jacob sang from besides me. I gripped my pencil a little tighter. I now had another reason to kill to add to my list and maybe this one came before hair pulling. Jacob. That would be a reason to kill. Or rather a <em>person <em>to kill. "Don't call me that." I hissed, glaring over at him. I sounded like a freaking pop star.

_Oh na, na. What's my name? Oh na, na. What's my name? _

Certainly not Rihanna _or_ Riana.

His face lit up in a goofy smile which any other day might have been amusing, but today it wasn't.

"She speaks!" He proclaimed, happily. That was it, I snapped the pencil in half. "She's strong!" He observed. I narrowed my eyes at him in a glare. He didn't seem affected by it at all. Instead, he rested his head lazily on top of his arms and gazed up at me.

"You know, Ari, you really are a charmer. I can see why Embry likes you so much." He commented. I continued to glare at him before resting my head on the table. I didn't like this, I didn't like this at all. I didn't want people to be cautious around me. Jared hadn't said one mean thing to me since before he found out. I wanted them all to tell me to shut up and to stop acting like a bitch. I wanted Kim to complain about me and Jared to defend Kim. I wanted Brady to kiss my ass to get me to do something and I wanted Collin to follow me around like a puppy, worshiping the ground I walked on. I didn't want them to be cautious and nice to me.

"I hate you." I said to the table but I think Jake knew I meant him. He chuckled and nodded his head. "You know, I like you and everything, but you're kinda a bitch." He stated. I froze. Jake had never called me out and frankly, it was about damn time he did. I lifted my head from the table and nodded.

"I know." I said calmly, taking another pencil out of my bag and starting to work on the work sheet the Jake and I were meant to have completed by the end of class. Jake placed his hand over mine, causing me to stop writing. I turned slowly to look at him. He had risen his head from the desk and leaned closer to me. We had a staring contest for a couple of seconds before he spoke up.

**_"_**Just**_ be nice, _**Ari,**_be_ _happy."_** He said, softly and I straightened up. _Okay. Be nice. Be happy. Got it. Whatever you say._ I smiled because I actually couldn't help it and he blinked a couple times in surprise.

"Oh shit." He muttered but I was to busy being happy.

"Hey, Jessica!" I said, in a _nice, happy_ voice. She turned around in her seat, surprised that I knew her name. I knew everybody's name. I just made them think I didn't. I made them think that their names weren't important to me. That wasn't very _nice_ of me, now was it?

"H-hey, Ariana…" She said, cautiously. I waved my hand dismissively. "Call me Ari." I continued. Her eyes widened slightly and she turned to look at the girl next to her who was in just as much shock as Jessica.

"Do you need answers to the worksheet?" She asked and I quickly shook my head no. "It's not very _nice_ to take others work. I just wanted to say I love your boots. They are so cute!" I said, smiling at her. She blinked a couple times before giving me a small smile.

"Thanks Ariana...Ari…" She trailed off again and looked back at her partner for help. The girl next to her, whose name was Natalie incase you were wondering if I knew her name, just shrugged. Jessica turned back to me again and glanced over at Jake who wasn't paying attention to her. He was looking directly at me with wide, fearful eyes. _Why did he look upset? Why wasn't he happy?_

"I just wanted to tell you." I said, still smiling. She nodded her head before slowly turning back around to work on her worksheet. I got back to work. "Jake?" I asked, glancing over at him. "Do you know what number seven is?" I asked. He blinked and stared at me. We had another little starring contest but this time I let him win because that was the _nice _thing to do.

"Um...uh...I..uhh…" He trailed off, before glancing over at the worksheet. "It's okay if you don't." I assured him. He slammed his hand against his forehead and I felt bad. It was just one problem, I could look it up in the book. He didn't need to feel bad about it. I placed a comforting hand on his arm because that was the _nice_ thing to do.

"I'll look it up later." I assured him, _again_. I decided I needed something to talk to him about. "Embry said he's taking me somewhere after school. Somewhere fun. Do you know where we are going?" I asked, still smiling. He made a couple of stuttering sounds but before he could answer the bell rang.

"If you haven't finished the worksheet I will let you finish it for homework. It's due tomorrow." Mr. Sanford, the teacher, told us. How _nice _was it of him to give us an extra day. I turned back to Jake.

"Don't worry, I'll do the rest, I know you have work later today." I told him. It was very _nice _of me to offer to do the whole worksheet even though I had already done the first half, dontcha think? I packed up my stuff and waited for Jake so we could head to lunch together. "Bye Mr. Sanford." I said nicely on the way out.

"Do you think Collin would have some money I could borrow for lunch? I'm really hungry." I told him as we walked into the cafeteria. I found Collin and bounced over to him. "Collin!" I said, happily, pulling him into a hug. He blinked down at me in surprise. "Do you have some money I could borrow for lunch? I'll pay you back." I promised, smiling at him. He stuttered much like Jake had before shoving a ten dollar bill in my hands.

"Thanks, Col, that was so _nice_ of you!" I said, smiling wide. He looked scared. _Why was he scared?_ "Come on." I urged, taking his hand and pulling him with me. "I know you're hungry too." He came with me while we got in the line. I had never been in the lunch line before at this school. It was clean and there was food. That was my observation. I would have asked Collin what he thought but he was busy studying me and I thought it wouldn't be _nice _to interrupt that.

I walked through the line and chose a turkey sandwich. I had wanted a chicken sandwich but there was only one left and I thought it would be _nice _to leave it for someone else who really wanted it. I hummed as I picked an apple juice out of the fridge happily and waited for Collin as he chose his food before paying for the two meals. I handed the change back to Collin and pranced happily back to the table, completely content. I placed my food in front of the empty seat next to Embry before wrapping my arms around his neck from behind and kissing his cheek. He was my boyfriend and that made me _happy. _I nuzzled his neck and placed another kissing right behind his ear before unwrapping myself from him and sitting down, moving my chair a little closer to his.

"Whats the matter?" He asked, sounding a little panicked as he studied me. Was something the matter with him? I was fine. I was _happy. _I was being_ nice _to everyone and it felt great. I didn't get to answer because Jake spoke up.

"I am so sorry. I've never tried that… I didn't think it would work… I didn't think it even could work… I didn't mean too… I swear…" Jake seemed stressed and that wasn't good. I didn't want Jacob stressed and I didn't want him upset.

"Jake? Don't be upset? Be _happy_!" I said, cheerfully, earning some strange looks from the rest of the groups. I opened my apple juice and took a sip. "I love apple juice." I told them, taking another sip. The others looked confused by me but Seth looked _happy. _

"I like her! Hey you know what's really great!" Then Seth dove into an entire conversation with me about non-important things. He never stopped smiling and he never looked at me weird. The other guys did though. The stayed silent until Seth was finished talking with me.

"What did you do to her?" Embry growled at Jake. "I don't know what you did but she was perfect before, you didn't have to change her." Why was Embry growling at Jake? Why was he mad at him? Brady spoke up before Jake could say anything.

"You have really nice teeth." He stated, staring at my mouth that was still in a smile. "Thank you!" I said, smiling a little wider.

"Maybe you never noticed because she _doesn't _smile. At all. What did you do Jake!" Collin asked, sounding not very _happy_. Why wasn't he _happy, _everyone should be _happy. _

"I told her to be nice and be happy." He said, sounding more panicky then before. "I beta-commanded her. I didn't know I had power of her. I guess she's pack, but Sam and I have never tried so I didn't know we had that power." I glanced around at all of them and something seemed to dawn on them.

I didn't really know what he meant._ Pack? Pack what? Pack a suitcase? _

"Isn't a beta a fish?" I asked, scrunching my nose. "Fish-commanded?" I cocked my head to the side, studying him. He met my eyes and I immediately smiled again, eager to please. He groaned.

"I don't know, I like her better like this. I say just leave her." Jared said, offhandedly. "Do you think I can get her to do things? Do I out-rank her? Is she at the same rank as Embry?" He asked. "Jared!" Kim squeaked, hitting his chest. "Don't even think about it!"

"See if you can manipulate, Kimmy!" Quil urged. "Tell her to get me more food." Jared growled and put an arm protectively around her. "Kim is not an experiment." He said, soundly deadly.

"Then neither is Ari." Embry insisted. He didn't think I was an experiment. Aw, that was _nice_ of him! Experiment for what, I had no idea. Was it a game? "I want to try!" I said, still in my cheerful voice. From what I guessed, it was to see who had the most power over the others. Jake nodded his head and Embry tightened his arm around my waist. I looked around the table and paused at Paul. He smirked at me as if inviting me to order him to do something.

"I wouldn't do that, Ariana." Embry warned in my ear. "He's two steps above me. Try one of the pups." He urged. _Pups? _I continued looking and stopped at Quil. Embry shook his head again. "He's a step above me. Try again." He said. But I wanted to get Quil to do something for me. I locked eye contact with him and had a similar staring contest with Quil as I had with Jake. I didn't back down this time.

"Oh shit." Jake muttered. "She might actually do this." The smile that had been on my face the whole day turned into a smirk. "Just say what you want him to do confidently, Ariana." Jake urged. Quil fidgeted slightly but I waited until he blinked to speak.

"**_Get me a Diet Coke_**." I told him in as strong of a voice as I could manage. Collin, Seth, Embry, Brady, and Quil all shivered. The others just looked surprised. Quil got up without a word and walked towards where the drinks were kept so he could buy one. Everyone watched him, except me. I was picking at my sandwich. Who knew eating this made me so _happy_. It was really good and one of the biggest meals I had eaten in a long time. My favorite part was the honey mustard. I wonder what else I could put honey mustard on. Quil placed the drink in front of me.

"Thank you!" I said happily. He nodded his head before sitting down and starring at the ground. "That was fun. We should do it again sometime." I had finished almost all of my sandwich. "What's the matter?" I asked, seeing Quil's solemn expression.

"She bumped me. She's not even...she bumped me." He muttered and then let out a yelp as someone, I assume Jake who was glaring at him, kicked him.

"That wasn't very _nice_ Jacob, it's mean to kick someone. If you wanted the Diet Coke, all you had to do was ask. I would have happily given it to you." I told him, offering the unopened soda to him. Anything for Jake. Jake quickly shook his head telling me to keep it.

"You broke her, Jake! You broke her!" Embry complained. "Ariana, don't you hate Jared's shirt? Doesn't it look stupid?" He asked. I cocked my head to the side. Why would I insult his friends shirt? That would be very _nice. _

"Hey!" Kim piped up. "I bought him that shirt!" Embry waved her off, dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, Kims. That's great. Don't you have anything you want to say about it, Ari?" He prodded. I inspected the shirt. Yes. There was something I wanted to say about it.

"I love the shirt. Green is a great color on you." I told him, smiling. Kim looked very pleased by my approval but Jared just blinked a couple times.

"Change her back!" He ordered Jake, pointing at me. Though it didn't sound like an order. He sounded uncomfortable.

"I can't just tell her to not be happy and not be nice. She'll never be either of those things again! I have to be careful what I say. We'll talk to Sam after school. She's not hurt and she's not doing any damage so she's okay." He said. The other people nodded but I shook my head.

"Jacob, I don't want to be rude because that wouldn't be very _nice _of me but I have plans after school. Embry's taking me on a date so today wont be good." I told him, shaking my head sadly. "Maybe tomorrow?" I suggested.

"I thought she had to listen to you." Paul mumbled. Jake whispered something about an in-print breaking a fish order but I didn't care. I had finished my apple juice and was now drinking my Diet Coke. This was a good day. I reached out and fisted a little bit of Embry's shirt in my left hand before laying my head against his shoulder. This was a very good day indeed.

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><p>"Where are we going again?" I asked, still smiling. Damn, my cheeks hurt. Actually, my whole face. I don't think I've smiled this much sober since I was eight. "To see Sam." Embry said, pulling me along.<p>

"But I thought you were going to take me somewhere fun. I really wanted to go on a date with you." I whined. He stopped and turned to face me, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Really?" He asked. I nodded my head. "Well, we'll go after. I really want to go on a date with you too." He assured me. My smile returned to my face and I started walking again, a little hop in my step and humming. Embry's and mines hands were intwined and I swung them between us.

"You know? I kinda like you like this...but I like you better when you're being who you want to be." He said. I didn't know what he meant but I was being supportive and _nice _like a good girlfriend so I just nodded my head.

We stopped in front of a pretty yellow house that had flower planted outside that were slowly dying because of the upcoming cold weather. What a shame. Flowers were pretty. Jessica's shoes were pretty.

Jacob pulled into the Uley's driveway with Brady, and Seth in his car while Quil had driven my car with Collin. Jared, Kim, and Paul had taken the truck that Paul and Jared shared. I wanted to walk and it was a very short walk from the school to the famous Emily and Sam's. I had merely suggested Quil drive my car and he had been pulling out of the school before I could blink. I skipped a little bit and paused in front of the door.

"You can just go in, we all do." Embry said. I turned to him and gave him a disapproving look. "That's not very _nice, _Embry. It's actually quite rude to walk into someone else's house." I shook my head but he just rolled his eyes and stepped around me to open the door. "**_Stop._**" He froze and snapped back into place at my side. I went into a giggling fit and he looked over at me a bit dazed. I reached up and patted his cheek fondly. "You're cute." I mumbled and he smiled even though he seemed a bit nervous.

"Brady!" I sang, smiling as he walked up to me. He gave me a cautious, lopsided smile as at any moment I might crack. I was not a mental patient. Jeesh. "**_Open the door,_** will you?" I half asked, half ordered. He scrambled ahead of me and Embry and opened the door for us. I giggled again.

"Boys! Hey! Are you-oh! You brought a guest. Is this the famous Ariana?" A beautiful woman with scars down the right side of her face asked. I guessed this was the famous Emily. "That would be me!" I piped up, smiling at her and pulling out of Embry's grasp. I gave her a big hug and she hugged me right back. I could already tell she was really _nice. _

"Aria hates hugs." Collin muttered from somewhere behind me. Everyone chose to ignore him, myself included. Hugs were_ nice_, especially from warm people. Embry hugs made me _happy_.

"Sit down." Emily said cheerfully. "I've heard so much about you!" She added. I smiled at her as we moved over to the counter. Paul hovered close to me and Embry and backed off slightly when Embry growled at him.

Was I dangerous? No. Was I unstable? Nah. Was I crazy? Eh, probably not.

Well, that was my opinion anyway. Paul's? Eh...not so much.

Embry sat down on the stool and I quickly sat in his lap. Being close to him made me _happy. _Emily's smile seemed to grow at that as she looked back and forth between us.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" She asked. I nodded my head, bossing people around made me thirsty. She moved to go to the fridge but I reached out and stopped her.

"Watch this." I whispered and she paused in curiosity. I smirked. "Seth." I said in a soft voice. Seth made eye contact with me and looked almost panicked. I shook my head and tsked a little. "Collin." I decided. He rubbed the back of his neck as I studied him. "**_Get me a drink._**" I ordered and he took long strides to reach the fridge. I smiled in satisfaction.

"Did she just-"

"Yeah."

"Is she a-"

"No."

"Then how did she-"

"Jake's getting Sam."

"What would you like?" Collin asked, seemingly embarrassed by being ordered around by his sister. I smirked at that. "Apple juice." I answered. "What would you like, Emb?" I asked. He shook his head no that he didn't want anything. "Paul? Jared? Kim?" I asked. They all shook their head no as well. "Emily?" I asked in an even nicer voice. I knew she was someone important. Someone to be _nice _to. She shook her head no. Collin brought the cup of juice over to me. I don't think it went unnoticed that I only asked the people who were more powerful than me if they wanted a drink. Oh...and Embry. But Embry was Embry and if he was thirsty then I would get him a drink...or Collin would.

Jake entered through the back door with a very big man following him. I instantly straightened up. I was guessing this was Sam and something in my body told me he was even more important than Emily. He immediately went over and kissed her before addressing any of us. I thought that was a little rude, sweet, but rude. I, however, didn't say anything. I was being _nice. _Good girl. He turned to me after his kissing session was done.

"Ariana." He said, softly, but his voice was strong and full of authority. I snapped my head up to meet his gaze. "Hello." I said softly. He smiled a hard smile and stood studying me. Embry's arms tightened around my waist and I couldn't hold a staring contest with him. I lost and shifted my eyes downwards.

"She's fine Jake. You didn't break her. She's not all-powerful or something like that. She's just...pack. I've never seen an imprint climb rank though, I'm guessing she will be our little attack imprint, hm?" He asked. This time he smiled a real smile and I quickly smiled too. He was _happy _so I was _happy. _

"I think that you just need to tell her to disobey you. That might work. She'll go back to normal." He continued. He held a finger up in front of my face and moved it back and forth. I followed it with my eyes, causing him to smirk. "I like her. I don't know what you guys were going on about." I cocked my head to the side.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked. I nodded my head eagerly. "Sam. You're in charge." He nodded his head and let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I like her."

"Wait till she gets back to her old self. You'll hate her." Jared grumbled earning himself a smack from Kim and a low growl from Embry. "Hey Jared?" Collin asked. "I hate your shirt." Sam snapped his fingers at the boys, still keeping my gaze.

"**_Tell me about yourself,_** Ariana." He said in the same soft but authoritative voice. "I'm sixteen, I lived here until I was eight before moving to Rhode Island, I'm a junior, and Collin's my brother." I said, immediately following his question. He nodded his head.

"Yes, but **_really tell me about you_**." He urged. I cocked my head to the side. Isn't that what I just did? The urge to please was too high though so I started racking my brain for something else to tell him. I glanced up at Embry who was looking right back at me. He nodded his head encouragingly at me to continue.

"I like apple juice and I'm Embry's girlfriend." I said. Sam nodded his head again. "Yeah. I like her." He then moved away from me and grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl taking a bite. We all stood in silence as he chewed.

"Well, Ariana, order someone to do something because anyone who can take on my fifth deserves more apple juice." He said. I perked up at the thought of that. I really did like apple juice...oh and Embry...he was okay.

"Quil." I sang softly, causing him and the younger boys to groan.

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View.<strong>

She made them do all sorts of things.

Collin stood on one foot for fifteen minutes.

Brady poured more apple juice then I've ever seen.

She played red light, green light with Seth and Quil ordering them to go and stop the whole time.

She didn't make me do anything.

I knew she could.

She knew she could.

Even after Sam's _suggestion _that she make me do something, she refused.

That means something, _right?_

"Well, Sam, higher ranked guys, I know this has been fun for you and stuff but can you please change her back because I miss her." I said, looking nervously at her. She was acting nice, I'd give her that much, and she was happy which was good, but it was fake and we all knew it. This wasn't her personality, it wasn't her. I loved Ari for who she was, and while others may like her better this way, it wasn't her. She was just starting to actually open up and actually be nice to me. She didn't need a command to make her do those things.

Sam sighed and nodded his head. I could tell he was having fun with her though. I was glad my alpha approved of her. She was, after all, an amazing person. Definitely an attack imprint. Definitely _my_ imprint. I unwrapped my arms from around her and led her to the couch, sitting her down. For a split second she looked heartbroken when I stepped away from her but quickly put back on a smile because she was being nice and happy. Jake kneeled down in front of her and after her eyes left mine she turned to stare at him. She reached up and rubbed her cheeks.

"What's the matter Ri-Ri?" He asked. She continued to smile while rubbing the apples of her cheeks. "My cheeks hurt from smiling." She admitted, still in a cheery voice. Jake chuckled while I looked at her worriedly.

"Are you sure you want me to change her back?" Jake asked, addressing me. "She's rather cute." He mused. Seth nodded his head in agreement.

"Can I keep her? Can I pretty, pretty please keep her?" Seth asked, walking over and patting her on the head like a dog. I snapped my teeth at him just because I could and he took a step away.

"Okay, okay." Jake mumbled. "No messing with the imprint. Got it." Now Ariana wasn't stupid, I knew I might have some serious explaining to do after today, but then again, maybe I wouldn't. Whatever Jake's order had done to her had not been good. She was very out of it. She looked the same, she sounded the same, but she wasn't her. She wasn't thinking or behaving like she normally would. I wondered if she would even remember anything after this. I focused my attention back on Jake as he talked softly to Ari.

"Ariana. I want you to **_ignore any past orders I have given you._**" He said. We all felt the order role over us. Of course, it wasn't meant for anyone but Ari, but we could all feel the power coming from his simple words. She looked dazed and her eyes were a little glossy, like when Jake or Sam slammed us with an order to hard. She swayed a little and Jake quickly grabbed her arms to keep her steady.

"Is she okay?" Collin asked, almost as worried as me.

"Get your smelly breath out of my face, Jacob." And then she was out.

Yeah, she was fine.

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><p><strong>Yay or nay?<strong>

**I am going to start working on the next chapter of Wonderland tonight and just a warning to those who read the story I know it is going to take me a while.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! & please review!**


	10. Dreams&Pretend

**Oh god it has been forever! & I am VERY sorry about that. I have been major busy and unfortunetly it is not going to get any better...please read the note at the end of this chapter for more info on that. **

**For now, enjoy this chapter because it took a while to write! XX C**

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><p>I dreamed of nothing that night. I dreamed I was trapped in a glass box. You couldn't hear anything from outside of it and you couldn't hear anything in it. I was alone. I had apple juice. It was dark. And then there was something. Something out of nothing because there is<em> always<em> something.

There was a wolf. A black wolf. It walked around the glass box protecting me. And then it disappeared. Once again there was nothing, but like I said before, there is always something. Another wolf appeared. It was a russet color and it, like the first wolf, walked around the glass box before disappearing. This happened with eight other wolves before I was alone again.

I was_ happy_ and these wolves were _nice_.

Then they all came back. They circled my glass box and then there was a coldness.

So cold.

I walked forward and reached out, touching the glass. Thats when it shattered. My soundproof box shattered and I could hear the snarls and howling the wolves were making. But it was okay because these wolves were_ nice_. I gasped causing all the wolves to turn on me. They had black eyes and sharp teeth. They looked ready to kill.

And then they attacked.

I was not _happy _and these wolves were not _nice._

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><p>I shot up in my bed screaming. The door slammed open and Collin was by my side almost instantly.<p>

"Ariana!" He laid his hand on my arm and I flinched scrambling backwards. I would have fallen off the bed if he hadn't been quick enough to catch me. "Stop screaming!" He begged. Both my parents came barging into the room frantically looking around. I hadn't realized that I was even still screaming.

Collin was yelling at our parents to leave and they obliged before he came back over to me. Maybe it was the wolves. Maybe it was the shattering glass. Maybe it was not having any memory of today. Whatever it was scared me enough that I couldn't stop screaming. If I was Collin, I would have been very impressed by how long I could hold out a scream. I have serious horror movie potential.

"Calm down, Ri-Ri, you're fine, you're safe." He continued trying to sooth me and by this point I was shaking.

"I want Embry!" I managed to get out in a strangled voice. I don't know why I said it. I wasn't even aware it had come out of my mouth until after Collin had slowly repeated it back to me in question form. Maybe it was because I trusted him in some weird way, or maybe it was because the last memory I had was kissing him goodbye and telling him that I loved coffee. Either way, I wanted him. I wanted him comforting me and I wanted him by my side. I felt sick to my stomach, as if I had eaten to much, and maybe I had. I would never know because I couldn't remember anything to do with that day.

"I want _my Embry_!" I repeated, still shaking and keeping my tears in. Collin was out of my room before I had even blinked. I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to cry. But I was going to sniffle and scream and beg for Embry. Collin was back in two minutes with Embry racing after him.

"What's the matter?" Embry roared at Collin. "What did you do?" It was the first time I had ever seen Embry yell or look scary. I was shaking harder and once he spotted me, he rushed over to where I was perched on my bed and snatched me up in his arms, cradling me to his chest. Meanwhile Collin was defending himself.

"I didn't do anything, Man. She just woke up screaming! You don't think it has anything to do with what Jake did, do you?" He asked. I couldn't even process his words. I wrapped my arms and legs around Embry and held onto him tightly, burying my head in his neck.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here. You're safe." He comforted. The scary voice he had used on Collin moments ago was gone and replaced with a soft, loving voice. He wrapped his arms a little tighter around me. "I knew you'd miss me. I tried to get Collin to let me stay but he wouldn't let me. Annoying brother, huh?" He asked, rubbing my back. I knew he was trying to make me smile and seem light of things, but I could hear the slight tremor in his voice that let me know he was nervous.

"Embry." I whispered, still in a bit of a shock. "Yeah, Baby, I'm right here."

"The wolves, Embry. The wolves." I whispered again and this time he froze. "They're coming for me." He held me even tighter and moved back on my bed so he was propped up against the headboard.

"No, no, no. No wolves are coming for you. It's just me here and you know I'll keep you safe." He promised. I nodded my head into his neck as he shh-ed me.

"What happened Emb? I don't know what happened and I can't remember anything." I whispered. I had never been so confused in my life.

"You weren't feeling well, you were acting strange so I brought you home after school and you fell right asleep." He explained softly. I nodded my head. He held me until I calmed down just rubbing my back and whispering words of comfort in my ear. Eventually I fell asleep in his arms.

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View:<strong>

She had fallen back asleep about an hour after I had gotten there. She had been pretty shaken up. I didn't want to admit it, but it scared me and I never wanted to see her that way again. Collin opened the door to her room slowly.

"Is she okay?" He asked. I nodded my head and readjusted her so that her legs were no longer wrapped around me, but laying straight. She wouldn't loosen her grip around my neck but I didn't really want her to so I was perfectly fine with her laying across me, her face buried in my neck.

"She said she couldn't remember anything. When Jake un-commanded her it must have wiped her memory. It must effect humans differently." I said softly, stroking her hair. Collin still looked worried just nodded his head.

"I know she only agreed to date you for a week but I know my sister and she wouldn't have agreed to that if she didn't want to date you in the first place." He said, turning around to leave. "And she's never asked for anybody before so thats how important you are to her." He added before leaving us alone.

I stayed awake just watching her while she slept. She was so peaceful and I loved the way that she held me close and wasn't letting go. Her alarm went off at 5:30 but I reached over and turned it off before she could wakeup. She'd had a long day and an even longer night, she could skip school and sleep. I turned a little on my side and shut my eyes to get some sleep as well.

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><p>When I woke up, Ariana was still in my arms with her face pressed up against my chest. I smiled down at her and she moved her head to look up at me. I rolled onto my back and pulled her with me so she could lay on my chest. She was tall but she was still so tiny and felt like nothing against my chest.<p>

"Did you sleep well?" I asked. She nodded her head and cuddled closer to me, if that was possible. My smile widened and I tightened my arms around her. "You know, Ari, you keep telling me that you don't like me very much and that you don't want me to be your boyfriend but then I get called to see you in the middle of the night." I smirked. "Not that I'm complaining, you are great to cuddle with." I added. She shrugged and propped her head up on my chest to look at me.

"I like you." She said simply, causing me to blink a few times in surprise. "You're a good guy but I _don't want _a boyfriend." She explained. I frowned but she didn't look very apologetic. "But I like you so I am willing to keep you around as my not-boyfriend so we can not-date and not-fall in love. It's going to be a wonderful not-relationship and we will be happy so don't ruin it for me because thats as good as it's going to get." I sighed and moved my eyes away from her and rested them on the ceiling.

I would take what I could get. She liked me. That was an improvement. She liked me enough to call me in the middle of the night when she was confused and scared. That was a _huge_ improvement.

"But," She continued, "you're a _really_ good kisser so that is acceptable as my not-boyfriend." I smirked. The rules didn't sound that bad. I was pretty much her boyfriend without her admitting it. The only problem was there was no commitment, no exclusiveness. She could date or make out with whoever she wanted. I wanted her to be mine and all mine. I didn't want to scare her though, so saying things like that was off limits...for now. Instead I dropped the subject and moved onto something different.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked. I was honestly concerned. She seemed a lot better but Jake was going to die if she wasn't perfectly fine. "Um...yeah. I'm much better, thanks by the way. I remember coming home now and going to bed after school...I just was kinda tired and disoriented when I woke up I guess." I nodded my head and gave her a tight smile but didn't say anything because I knew she was lying.

She didn't have to lie to me. I didn't want her to lie to me.

* * *

><p>I spent a little while longer, laying with her in bed, before we decided to get up and go downstairs. No one was home since her parents were working and her brother was at school so it was just us. I had convinced her to eat some Cheerios, even though she claimed she wasn't hungry, and had made her three cups of coffee. We had then sat on the couch and watched hours of cop shows debating which person killed the victim.<p>

She was way better at figuring it out than me.

I eventually told her that I had to go because I hadn't gone home last night and knew my mom would be mad at me. She had frowned, nodded her head, thanked me, gave me a kiss, then went back to her show as I let myself out of the house.

Fact: She's a really good kisser too.

I don't even want to think about why she is that way.

"Where the hell have you been?" I cringed. Looks like someone got off of work early. "Out." I answered mechanically. That was always my answer. I wasn't allowed to tell her about the wolves and most of the time I was out on patrol when she wanted to know where I was. I could tell her I was at my not-girlfriends house but I thought it was better she didn't know that.

"What do you mean _out_? You never came home last night and I got a call from the school saying you never showed up!" She was mad...and blocking the stairway to my room. "I'm sorry." I muttered, knowing there was nothing else I could say. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"I do everything for you! I _gave up_ everything for you and you can't even _try _to be a good kid. Running around shirtless and doing drugs. You should be ashamed of yourself! I'm ashamed of you!" She ranted and I just bowed my head and took it. She was ashamed of me and I ruined her life. Everything was my fault. That was what she told me constantly.

"I'm not doing drugs." I mumbled as if it mattered or made a difference. She huffed and rolled her eyes as if that was not possible. I sighed softly and just thought about Ariana while she continued to yell at me. I thought about the way she cuddled up to me this morning and the way her eyes widened slightly when she was focused on the television show. I thought of the upset look on her face when I told her I had to leave. Eventually my mother stormed passed me and into the kitchen, letting me know I was free to go upstairs and she was done yelling at me for now.

Same shit, different day.

Story of my life.

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View:<strong>

I walked into the school the next day and walked past the group of Collin and Embry's friends. Jake broke away from them and rushed after me. "Ariana! Ari!" He called. I didn't pause or look back at him but he caught up with me easily. I glanced up at him and offered him a half smile. "Are you okay?" He asked in a rush. His concern confused me but I nodded my head slowly. He nodded his head and continued on with me to my locker. "Good, we were worried about you. You were very...unlike yourself." He said. I paused in front of my locker.

"We?" I asked, curiously. He seemed confused that, that was the only thing I had picked up during the conversation but then nodded his head. "Yeah, the guys and Kim, we were all worried about you…" He trailed off and I studied him for a second before getting my books for history class. Instead of asking why they cared or saying thanks, I changed the subject.

"Where's Embry?" I asked. He blinked for a moment. "Uhh...he'll probably be here soon. He was working late last night." I nodded my head and shut my locker, leaning against it.

"You know, Jake, I don't understand you guys at all." I told him honestly. He didn't have time to say anything else because Embry walked up and kissed my cheek. My attention was immediately leaving Jake and going to him. He gave me my coffee and told Jake to stop worrying. Jake had shrugged and walked away, leaving us alone which was what I wanted anyway.

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><p>Apparently in my sick state I had forgiven Collin. I must have been really sick but he had bought me two Diet Cokes on Friday so I knew he was trying his best to get on my good side. No one mentioned my confession to Collin. No one asked any questions. We all pretended it never happened and that was exactly what I wanted, after all, I had been pretending it wasn't happening. I had pretended it didn't happen for over a year. It was easier this way.<p>

Come to think about it, playing pretend had always been my favorite game as a child.

* * *

><p>I fixed my shirt. Today I was meeting Emily and Sam. I knew they were important to, not only my brother, but Embry too and I wanted to make a good impression on them. I got the sense that they were important.<p>

"You ready to go, Ri's?" Collin asked, poking his head into my room. I nodded my head and grabbed my phone before following him downstairs and towards the front door.

"Oh, Ariana?" My mom called. I paused and turned to look at her as she came towards me. "I got your gym membership set up, I found this nice gym in Port Angeles. You'll love it." She said, smiling. I nodded my head and shut the front door to head to the car. Sam and Emily's house was not far away from our own and we managed to get there in about five minutes.

"Don't stare at Emily's face." Collin warned as we got out of the car. I gave him a puzzled look but agreed and headed towards the cute little house. I noticed flowers dying in a pot near the front. What a shame. Collin went ahead of me and reached to open the door.

"Col-lin!" I chided. "You can't just walk into someone's house you freak! That's rude!" He rolled his eyes and reached for the knob again. "**_Knock!_**" I scolded again and he surprisingly obeyed this time. Embry opened the door a smirk on his face as he looked at Collin. I pushed past my brother as he reached for me and pulled me into a hug. He leaned down and pecked my lips before taking my hand to lead me into the house. He seemed excited I was there which made me feel good about myself and wanted. It was a great feeling. A woman was in the kitchen unpacking mounds of raw hotdogs that would be put on the grill. She looked up when she heard us come in and smiled wide at me.

"Hi Ariana, it's so great to see you!" The lady, who I assume was Emily, said. I could tell why Collin didn't want me to stare, she had three jagged, claw-like scars down the right side of her face. She looked familiar though and the way she had greeted me was like she had met me before but I knew I would have remembered her. I reached my hand out to shake hers.

"It's so nice to meet you." I said, smiling. She ignored my hand and moved forward to hug me. I internally cringed. I hated hugs from anyone except Embry but I awkwardly hugged her back.

"I'm Emily." She said as I pulled away. She went back to her work preparing the food. "You should take her to go see Sam and the others. I'll be out in a few minutes." She said to Embry. He nodded his head and grabbed the tray of hot dogs to bring out to whoever was using the grill. He threaded our fingers together and headed out the back door with me. All the guys I knew from school were there along with one more that I didn't know. He was standing at the grill, chatting with my brother. I also noticed a beautiful girl sitting at a picnic table, alone and looking rather miserable. I wondered who she was.

"Hey Sam." Embry said and I turned my attention away from the girl and to the big man. "Hey Embry, Ariana." He said. His voice was familiar and it made me snap up straighter and look up at him.

"Hi." I said, softly. He smiled down at me and then to my horror patted my head,_ like I was a freaking dog. _"Yeah, I still like her. She's rather cute...like a little pet." He mused. My mouth dropped into an 'O' shape and even Collin looked nervous for Sam's life. Embry pulled me closer to him as if he knew I didn't like Sam and was about to flip on him.

"You hang out with Jared a lot, don't you?" I asked, flatly, crossing my arms. I glared at him and decided I didn't really like Samuel Uley. Sam chuckled and nodded his head. "I don't like him." I told Embry who was smiling down at me. He winked at me.

"Yeah, he's a jerk but don't take it personal. He's mean to everyone. He thinks he can boss everyone around, rude huh?" He asked. He was totally making fun of me. I elbowed him in the stomach and he smirked down at me. Paul came jogging up to me holding a football with some of the other guys following him.

"Hey Ariana, wanna play red-light green-light?" He asked.

"NOOOO!" Seth, Quil, Brady, and Collin all yelled. Sam, Jared, and Paul thought it was hilarious for reasons unknown. The girl stayed at the table ignoring everyone and Embry glared at Paul. I smirked even though I didn't know the reason to these reactions. Collin seemed truly frightened and I was still a little mad at him so anything to ruffle his feathers was okay with me.

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><p>"I'm really not hungry." I told him, <em>again<em>. He sighed. I had eaten half a hamburger while most of the boys were on their eighth. It was good and I hadn't had one in a long time but I just couldn't bring myself to eat more of it. I ate as much as I could which was an accomplishment for me even if no one else saw it that way.

"Can I go _now_?" The girl, whose name I still didn't know, asked. I perked up and watched her as she sneered the question at Sam. I liked how she talked to Sam and from the expressions on the other boys faces I assumed that no one else talked to him like this. Sam's look turned into a little bit of a glare and I held my breath waiting for something else to happen. "I ate. Now I can leave." She continued, matching his glare. I turned my gaze to Sam to see what he would say.

"I think you can stay a little longer, _Lee-Lee._" He said in a cautious voice. She seemed to grow more mad by the name he called her. _What kind of name was Lee-Lee? I assume it's a pet name for her. If I had a pet monkey I'd name it Lee-Lee…_

Wrong type of pet name.

"We haven't had dessert yet." Emily reminded her cheerfully. The girl scowled at Emily and then looked back to Sam.

"You may have forced me to come for lunch but you never told me I had to stay for dessert. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be around any of you and I am leaving." She growled before turning and stalking away from the Uley household.

"Whose that?" I breathed out in wonder. "Leah." Embry muttered. _Leah. _I liked her. She was my new role model. Before this my role model with JWOWW from the Jersey Shore because she got paid to be drunk and have big boobs but now Leah seemed even better than her. Yelling at the boss man. Love it! I scrambled out of my seat after her, ignoring the calls from the others. I caught up to her quickly.

"Hi. I'm Ari." I told her. She raised her eyebrows. "I thought only your friends could call you Ari." She sneered. I smirked. I liked her attitude.

"Well, usually, yes. But there are exceptions to every rule. Embry because he is my not-boyfriend and you because you just told off Samuel Uley, which, by the way, was awesome." I said, causing her to smirk. "So you don't like Sam either? What did he do to you?" She asked as we continued towards her car. She motioned for me to get in the passenger seat and I happily got in, not even caring that I was leaving Embry, Collin, and my car behind.

"He told me he wanted to keep me as a pet and patted my head like a I was a fucking puppy." I told her, still not happy with the man. She rolled her eyes and pulled out of the driveway, stepping on the gas and flying down the road. "Well he broke my heart so I think I win." _He broke her heart? _I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and could tell she wasn't joking. Well that sucks.

"This is why relationships suck. You need to get a not-boyfriend like me! They are great. No commitment, no break-ups, you don't have to be nice to them if you don't want to, and mine even brings me coffee." I told her. She laughed and for the first time since I had seen her earlier, she smiled.

"You know, loverboy is going to freak out that you left." She said. I nodded my head already knowing that. "Maybe, but he's not my boyfriend. I don't have to do what he says and I don't have to stay with him like I'm his date or something." She smiled again.

"You know, Ari, you're alright. I kinda hated you before I knew you but I think I could grow to be tolerant to you." She told me, taking her eyes off the road to study me for a second. That sounded like a pretty good compliment coming from your role model. I'll take it.

"What to do…" She said, strumming her fingers against her steering wheel. "What to do…"

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><p><strong>Explaining time! The dream in the beginning was symbolizing how she was happy and nice in her glass box and when Jacob beta-commanded her the glass shattered and she was no longer happy and nice. Get it?<strong>

**Please review!**

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:**

**I am going to overnight camp this week. I am leaving in about 12 hours (still haven't packed!) and will be gone until Friday. No technology is allowed, though I will have my iPhone (whose name is Caliope) so I will be able to answer messages. I am getting picked up on Friday and being driven straight up to Vermont for my cousin's wedding. My MacBook (whose name is Justine) is not invited to the wedding according to my mother. I will be coming home on Monday and on Tuesday I will be in Boston, Massachusetts for the day because I am going to the Ke$ha concert that night. (SOOOO EXCITED!) The earliest I can probably get something up on either of my stories will be Wednesday or Thursday, August 17th or 18th. **

**I am going to overnight camp this week. I am leaving in about 12 hours (still haven't packed!) and will be gone until Friday. No technology is allowed, though I will have my iPhone (whose name is Caliope) so I will be able to answer messages. I am getting picked up on Friday and being driven straight up to Vermont for my cousin's wedding. My MacBook (whose name is Justine) is not invited to the wedding according to my mother. I will be coming home on Monday and on Tuesday I will be in Boston, Massachusetts for the day because I am going to the Ke$ha concert that night. (SOOOO EXCITED!) The earliest I can probably get something up on either of my stories will be Wednesday or Thursday, August 17th or 18th. **

**August 20th is my sixteenth birthday! WOO! I will be heading up to Maine on that day and staying until the 27th. I am still trying to get Justine a spot on that trip but I don't think I will have wifi. I might be able to write a little and if so I will have something to post for you guys as soon as I get home.**

**August is VERY busy and I just wanted to let you guys know so you don't think I'm abandoning you.**

**XX Cassy**


	11. Confessions&Dates

**Been a little while but I'm back...kinda? I have a nice long chapter as a thank you for waiting. As always, please review. Reviews make me write faster! Love you all! XX.**

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View:<strong>

"What the hell did you do?" I growled at a smirking Leah. She shrugged and pushed Ariana towards me. I caught her, wrapping my arms around her protectively, before turning back to glare at Leah.

"We just had a little of Billy and Old Quil's moonshine. She's such a lightweight Embry, I'd see if you could trade her in." She responded, rolling her eyes and inspecting her nails.

"I like your hairrr." Ari slurred, reaching one of her hands up to play with my hair while her other hand rested against my chest to help keep her standing. She didn't give compliments so I knew she was really drunk.

"I must say I am impressed with her though. She really thought she could out drink me and she just might have if I hadn't stepped in so...you're welcome, I guess." Leah said, giving me a fake smile. I let out a soft growl at her and tightened my hold on Ari so she wouldn't fall.

"You're a fucking _werewolf_." I hissed, to low for my imprint to hear. "Of course you can out-drink her!" Leah just snorted and moved her eyes away from her nails to look at Ari who was now poking my cheek.

"Have you met Leah, Emmy?" She slurred, moving her hand back to my hair. "Yes I have, Sweetheart, unfortunately I know her quite well." I glared at Leah for a split second before looking back at Ari with softer eyes. She turned to Leah.

"Did you meet my _boyfriend,_ Lee-ahh?" She asked, giggling. Leah smirked at me and I knew she could hear my heart rate increase at the word boyfriend. "Yeah I have." Leah told Ari, nodding her head. "He's an ass." Then she turned and walked away, leaving me with my very drunk _girlfriend_.

"You're not an ass." She told me, patting my cheek fondly. "But you do have a nice one." She added, giggling again. I decided I'd take the compliment where I could get it.

"Thank you." I said, nodding my head once. "How are you this drunk, Ari? It's only 5:30." She had gone back to playing with my hair which actually felt really good but I had to focus on her_ not _how soft her hands were.

"Leah said that it was five-o'clock somewhere when we started." She told me. I sighed and pulled her towards her car.

"Come on, I'll bring you home. Your parents took Collin out to dinner in Port Angeles so it will be just us." I said. She frowned but got in the passenger side of her car. I got in the drivers side and grabbed the keys from her.

"They don't like me, thats why they didn't take me." She said, still frowning. I shook my head quickly. "No, no. They wanted to take him out to...celebrate a good grade he got on a test." I told her. The truth was that they were taking him out to give him a break from being a wolf for a night and for him to explain a little more to them. I couldn't tell her that though. "Besides, I wouldn't let them take you because I want you all to myself." I informed her. She smiled at me and reached over, taking my hand. I couldn't help but smile. I pulled up to her house five minutes later and helped her out of the car.

"You always open my door for me." She hummed, leaning against me. "Of course." I mumbled, opening her house door and heading inside with her. I led her over to the couch and told her sit there while I went into the kitchen to get her a _nonalcoholic_ drink. I walked back in a couple minutes later but she was gone.

"Fuck." I mumbled. I strained my ears and could hear shuffling upstairs. I sighed in relief that she hadn't gone far and headed up the stairs and into her room. She was sitting on her bed and had changed out of her clothes. She was wearing my green button-up shirt she had worn the day after she slept over. I sucked in a breath but gave her a smile that she quickly returned.

"I thought I told you to stay downstairs." I accused, climbing onto the bed next to her and handing her the glass of water. She shrugged, cuddled into my side, and sipped at the water. "You're wearing my shirt." I commented. She nodded her head.

"It's warm and reminds me of you." She said softly. I kissed her forehead and helped her pour the liquid into her mouth since she almost spilled the sip before.

"Ariana? Will you tell me something?" I asked slowly. She nodded her head and waited for me to continue. I had been wanting to bring this up for a while but I knew she wouldn't tell me anything sober. I was hoping her being a little drunk would help her open up. I knew from personal experiences of having the elders moonshine as a human that you never remembered any of it the next day. Jake had one time snuck him, Quil, and I a bottle and we woke up the next day with no memory of drinking it or what went on.

"What happened with you and your ex-boyfriend?" I asked, still testing the waters with her. She didn't tense or look mad. She furrowed her brow and looked up at me. "Which one?" Fuck my life. I wonder how many boyfriends she's had. I didn't want to know.

"Alex." I sneered his name before controlling myself again. "He wasn't very nice to you." I murmured. She shook her head no and looked a little sad.

"He was mean to me." She stated. When she made no move to continue, I spoke up. "What did he do, Ari?" I asked, stroking her arm. "It was my fault, really, not his. I just was never good enough for him. I'm still not." She defended. A shiver ran through me but I calmed myself. I didn't have time to tell her she was wrong and perfect in every way before she started talking again.

"I'm not a very good girlfriend and I'm not pretty enough for him." She said sadly. I couldn't control the growl that came out of my mouth this time. I moved the water out of her hand and put it on the bedside table before pulling her closer to me and cradling her to my chest.

"You are absolutely perfect, I don't want you to ever change, and you are the most beautiful girl I know. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." I said sternly, willing her to believe me. She shook her head but didn't say anything in response. I knew I hadn't convinced her but I had plenty of time to make her see how amazing she is.

"Did he...did he ever do anything else?" I choked out, nervous about the answer. She was silent for a long time before finally murmuring out a simple, "He hurt me." She didn't say anything else after that.

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><p>"Ouch."<p>

I slowly opened my eyes and groaned slightly.

"What the-"

I turned over and noticed the empty bed.

"Where are those fucking-ah."

I shifted again.

"Never mind."

I rubbed my eyes trying to clear my vision.

"Who the fuck invented child locks?"

I moved to sit up.

"A bitch, that's who."

Ariana was standing in front of her dresser trying to get the cap off of a bottle of pills. I normally would have gotten up and helped her take off the cap. I knew she had a rough night with Leah and probably had a horrible headache. I couldn't bring myself to move though. Her hair was soaking wet like she had just gotten out of the shower. She was standing in a dark green bra and matching thong. She finally got the cover off and popped a few of the pills in her mouth. She placed the bottle on her dresser and turned part way to face me.

"Good morning." She said, giving me a lop sided smile. I blinked a few times before managing to get out a simple, "Morning." I had seen her in a bra and underwear before but this was different. This was in _daylight _and it made me happy that she was this comfortable around me. She picked up the towel that she had draped over the chair and attempted to squeeze the water out of her hair.

"School starts in…" Her eyes flickered to the clock in her room. "An hour. You can hang out here as long as you want but then you have to head back to your house and get changed or something." She told me, plugging in her blowdryer. I sat up a little more, unable to keep my eyes off her. She placed the blowdryer on her vanity table before slowly stalking towards me with a smirk on her face. I gulped.

"Like what you see?" She asked, climbing onto the bed and crawling towards me. I nodded my head as she straddled me and I instinctively grasped her hips in my hands. "Any time you want, I'm yours." She breathed out, her warm minty breath blowing over my face. She leaned closer and nuzzled my cheek. I couldn't hold back any more so I tightened my grip on her and pulled her mouth to mine, kissing her deeply.

When I kissed her, it made me forget everything. All my worries about the pack, my mother, life in general, everything. She took it all away. She made me feel important and when she would pull me closer, it made me feel wanted. I flipped her onto her back so I was hovering over her. I attacked her neck then, peppering it with kisses and sucking on her skin.

"Embry." She moaned out quietly. I loved when she said my name. I pulled back to kiss her face but she was smirking. "You can touch me you know." She offered nonchalantly. Unable to help myself, my face heated up slightly. My hands were still glued to her hips and I hadn't made any attempt to move them. I didn't really know what to do. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself or misinterpret our relationship. She moved her hand to rest over my left one. After rubbing the back of it, I loosened it and she tugged on it to rest on her breast before leaning up and capturing my lips back in her's. She moaned again as I gently massaged her through her lacy bra. I trailed kisses down her neck and to her chest. "Embry." She gasped again, arching her back. I reached behind her to take her bra off but was stopped by a knocking on the door.

"Ariana? Just wanted to make sure you were getting ready….school's in forty minutes." Collin's hesitant voice asked. I cursed and dropped my head to her shoulder. "Embry. I will fucking kill you if you have sex with her while I can hear." He added, much to quiet for her to hear but I certainly got the message.

"I'm a little busy. I'll be out soon." She panted out, squirming underneath me. Her squirming caused my hand to move on her breast again. She moaned, probably thinking Collin couldn't hear her but I knew better.

"I'm fucking serious, Embry." He hissed. I groaned in frustration before rolling off of her. I caught her hurt and disappointed face before she composed it. Her wet hair had dried slightly and was sticking to her neck and shoulders. She got up from the bed and slowly walked back over to her blowdryer. I sat up and picked my t-shirt and jeans off the ground, pulling the pants on. I loved falling asleep with her in my arms and last night had been no exception. I watched as she combed through her hair to untangle it before drying it. _She is so gorgeous. _I sighed and headed towards her.

"I'll head home and get ready. See you at school?" I asked. She smiled and nodded her head. I leaned forward and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I'll pick you up." She suggested and I happily agreed. Any way to spend more time with her. I moved to her window and opened it to climb onto the roof and jump out. She quickly turned around from the vanity, wide eyed.

"You can go out the front door, Emb. It's only Collin here and he wont say anything." She promised. I shrugged. I didn't really want to face Collin knowing what he just heard. Instead of reassuring her, I changed the subject.

"Listen...I was thinking," I paused to collect myself. She gave me a strange look. "I was wondering if maybe we could go on a date...tonight?" I asked, hesitantly. _Nothing like asking a girl out when she wasn't wearing any clothes… _She blinked a few times in surprise.

"Um...uh...s-sure…I guess?" She answered it sort of with a question but I didn't care. She said yes. That was all I could focus on. I quickly stepped through the window and onto the roof before she could change her mind. Before jumping off I popped my head back into the room.

"You should wear your hair curly to school today. It looks really pretty that way." I told her, shooting her a smile before jumping off the roof to head to my house.

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View:<strong>

He thinks my hair looks pretty curly.

I finished blowdrying my hair and inspected it in the mirror before heading over to my closet to pick out my outfit. I pulled on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a white tank top before doing my makeup. I left my hair how Embry had said to and put on my black boots. I felt weird going out without my hair straight. I always wore it straight. I had been told it looked ugly otherwise. After running a brush through my loose curls once more, I pulled on a black, leather jacket and grabbed my bag before opening the door and heading downstairs.

"Hey Col." I said, pouring a bowl of cheerios. "Hey." He muttered, not making eye contact with me. I brushed it off and quickly ate my food before getting up to leave with Collin. "We have to pick up Embry." I told him and he murmured something about how 'this will be awkward'. I didn't really know what he meant so I ignored him and sped off towards Embry's house. Embry's lived only one street over and you could easily drive to his house, from mine, in three minutes. It made me feel safe knowing he was always so close.

"Get in the back." I ordered, once we had parked in Embry's driveway. "What? No." He argued. I shoved him but he barely budged. "Get the fuck into the back seat before I make you." I growled. He stuck his tongue out at me. "Geez Ari, stop being such a bitch." He shot back, getting out of the car to sit in the back seat.

"She's not a bitch." Embry defended, slapping the back of Collin's head. I shot Collin an amused smile as they both took their seats in the car, Embry in the front. He put my coffee in the cup holder and I backed out of his driveway to head to school.

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><p>It wasn't until after school, when I was sitting doing my homework that I realized I was going on a date with Embry. When he asked me this morning he had seemed so nervous. He had looked so hopeful and cute. How could I say no to him? He was so nice to me. I didn't know how long his kindness would last but I wanted it to last as long as possible. I wanted him to like me. In some weird way, his acceptance meant the world to me.<p>

I stormed out of my house and walked down the street in a rush, heading towards Quil's house. He lived two houses away from mine and I needed to talk to him. I opened the door without even knocking, something I _never _do.

"Quil!" I screeched, heading into the living room where he would most likely be playing video games. Sure enough him and Jacob were lounging on the couch battling each other in some stupid game that was _way_ less important than my life. The both shot up at the sound of my scream.

"What the-" Quil started but I interrupted him. "I'm not going on a date with him! I can't! Please don't make me go!" Quil started towards me but Jake beat him there. He put one hand on each of my forearms and led me to the couch, sitting me down and crouching in front of me so we were eye level.

"I'm not going!" I continued to argue. "Tell him I got hit by a bus or joined a cult. Tell him it's freaking _against my religion_! I don't care. I'm just not going!" Jake smirked and waited for me to stop my ranting.

"Calm down and tell us whats really going on." He urged in that calm, authoritative voice. "I agreed to go on a date with Embry and I really don't want to." I said quickly. His eyes flickered to Quil before back to me.

"Why don't you want to go on a date with him?" He urged. I met his gaze for a second before dropping it down to my fiddling hands. "I-I-well...um...I-" I didn't answer him. He waited a couple seconds and when he saw I wasn't going to say anything else, he continued.

"Are you scared to go on a date with him?" He asked. The way he said it wasn't in a degrading way. He didn't say it like he had pity on me. He said it like a concerned friend who was just trying to understand. I didn't answer. Instead I just nodded my head. He sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

I didn't really date anymore. I didn't do relationships. I would go on a date with someone but after that it wouldn't happen again. I wouldn't really talk to them much after our date and it wouldn't mean anything. I couldn't do that with Embry though. I couldn't imagine not seeing him everyday and I knew he didn't want just one date. I didn't think I could give him anymore than just that. He studied me for a minute and Quil sat down next to me.

"Just tell him if you really don't want to go, Aria." Quil said softly. "He'll understand if you're not ready for that." He promised. I shook my head.

"He is so excited. I can't tell him I don't want to go. I'm not _that_ horrible of a person." I said, softly. Quil chuckled softly.

"I don't know, Ri's. Remember your prom date…?" He asked, trying to make light of things. I cracked a small smile. "Yeah, but he was not Embry." I argued. He sighed and nodded his head.

"Okay. How about this, Ariana. What if I tell Embry he can't go tonight, that he has to work. Then you wont have to tell him you don't want to go." Jake suggested. I bit my lip and tugged on the end of my hair, thinking about it. Was that the right decision? He pulled out his phone and dialed Embry's number before I could agree or disagree.

"Hey Emb. Listen, you can't go tonight." Jake said casually. My eyes widened at how calm he was about this. I cringed as I could hear Embry scream at Jake. He didn't even flinch away but Quil did.

"Are you sure about this, Aria?" Quil mumbled to me.

"Yeah, well, you have to work tonight." Jake said, sending me a kind smile. I'm sure I looked very panicked. "See ya later, Embry! Bye!" He said cheerfully before hanging up. I just stared at him wide eyed. I didn't feel relieved or happy. I felt sick and horrible. I felt like a bad person. I didn't like that feeling at all.

"Five...four...three…" Quil muttered.

"Two...one." Jacob finished. Quil's front door slammed open and I jumped backwards in surprise.

"What do you mean I can't go! Fuck, Jacob, Beta or not I will kill-" His eyes rested on me. "Hey Ari…" Embry trailed off. I offered a slight wave.

"Jake was just telling me that he was going to cover your shift for tonight so we could go out." I said quickly before the yelling match started. Jacob gave me a smug smile and I sent a quick glare his way before turning back to Embry. Quil just looked confused.

"He...was?" Embry asked slowly. I nodded my head and stood up to leave, backing away from Jake and Quil.

"Yeah, he was also saying how he was going to cover your shift tomorrow and buy me a diet coke at lunch. Nice boy, huh?" I shot him one more glare before turning back to Embry. "Well, I'll see you in about forty-five minutes...bye!" I said, shooting him a fake smile and making a beeline for the front door.

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><p>I don't care.<p>

I don't care.

I don't care.

I don't care.

I don't care.

I don't care.

I _do_ care.

I hate myself for that.

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><p><strong>Did you guys like it...? Maybe?<strong>

**I'm not sure if I will write the date...up to you guys. Date or just continue with the story?(: Let me know in the reviews.**

**Reminder to everyone: **

**My birthday is on Saturday and I will be heading up to Maine on vacation for a week. I will have my laptop (Justine) with me but I don't think I'll have a ton of time to write. You may or may not get an update on either of my stories from me…**

**Anyways, have a great weekend everyone! I love all of you to Pluto and back! XX Cass**


	12. Dates&Together

**Hey guys! Here is the date. Most of you wanted me to write it and I hope it is okay for you guys! I wanted to post this on the 27th but I was, sadly, affected by Hurricane Irene and lost power...and a few trees. I hope that if any of you were in the areas hit that you are okay! Love you all. XX.**

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View:<strong>

I stood there, frozen in Quil's living room, incredibly confused. _What was going on?_ Quil looked almost as confused as I was. I watched as the door shut after Ari but I was too shocked to go after her and ask her what had just happened. Jacob snorted and plopped back onto the couch.

"I am a God." He stated, picking up a game controller. I turned to Quil who scratched his head before slowly sitting down next to Jake and taking the other controller.

"How did you-never mind. But you didn't-never mind. You should start a business out of-never mind." Quil muttered while Jake smirked.

"I'm...I'm really confused guys." I admitted. Jake smiled up at me.

"Go get ready for your date, Emb. Have fun." He said. I nodded my head and backed out of the room towards the door. "Oh, and Embry?" He asked. I stopped and looked over at him. "Get her flowers...I think she would really like those. And tell her she looks really pretty...she needs to hear that." I nodded my head again not really sure why he was telling me this or why he cared so much. I walked out of his house slowly.

_Why was everything in life so confusing?_

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View:<strong>

I had gone home a straightened my hair. If I was going on this date then I was at least going to be comfortable, and I was comfortable with straight hair. I changed into a pair of light-wash skinny jeans and an oversized white shirt. I was hoping that the loose fabric would make me look skinnier than I was. I put on a pair of tan colored, boot-like, open-toe heels and fixed my make-up before heading downstairs.

"That shirt looks good on you." My mom said from her seat at the kitchen table. I grinned at her. That kind of compliment from her meant the world to me. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"Oh, I have a date." I said happily, starting to warm up to the idea of going out with Embry. She frowned. "No you don't." She declared. I was shocked and couldn't speak for a minute, just gapping at her, my mouth opening and closing. She had never had a problem with me dating before. She usually liked when I went out with people.

"I...I what?" I stuttered, confused.

"You're not allowed to go on a date." She stated.

"I'm going. He's going to be so disappointed otherwise." I told her, frowning. Her eyes narrowed. "What's your problem?" I sneered, crossing my arms. She raised her eyebrows, daring me to fight with her. _Challenge accepted._

"You don't understand yet, but you will and you will thank me." She promised, sticking her nose in the air. My mouth dropped. She was being completely serious about this.

"I am going out with Embry and you can't do anything about it." I declared, putting my hands on my hips. She opened her mouth to argue but stopped abruptly and her face smoothed out.

"You're dating Embry?" She asked, her mood drastically changing. _Was I dating him? No. Did I consider him mine? Yes. Was there a difference? No comment._ "I am _not_ dating him. I am just going on a date _with_ him." I told her, still not understanding her attitude or change in mood.

"That's fine then. I'm glad you're going out with him." She said, in her happy, care-free voice. I blinked in surprise. _What is wrong with her?_ I could't contemplate it for much longer because the doorbell rang. After shooting my mother one more glare, I headed to the front door. I opened it to reveal a smiling Embry. I couldn't help but give him a small smile in return.

"Hey. You look beautiful." He said, leaning down and pecking my lips. I didn't answer him, I just wrapped my arms around his waist in a hug. He kissed the top of my head and hugged me back. I pulled away from him and he held out a bouquet of daises. I unconsciously smiled wider. "These are for you."

"Thank you." I murmured, taking the flowers from him. I turned away from him and headed into the kitchen. It had been a long time since someone had gotten me flowers, it made me happy. I opened a cabinet that was under the sink and pulled out a vase before filling it with water and putting the flowers in it. I placed them on the counter, sent my mother one last glare before grabbing Embry's hand and leading him out of the house. He opened my car door for me before getting in on his side. I realized he had borrowed Paul's truck. It was quiet for a little while as he pulled out of my driveway and towards Forks. We passed the beach and something dawned on me.

_One week._

It had been exactly one week since he asked me to be his girlfriend. One week since I had agreed to be his girlfriend. One week since our deal would end. I whipped my head towards him.

"What?" He asked quickly, seeing my alarmed expression. "Nu-nothing." I stuttered, turning back to look out the window. He didn't push it for which I was grateful of. _Did I want him to stop being my boyfriend? _I liked my morning coffee. I liked being around him. I like how he _cared _about me. I _really_ like kissing him. It was a little painful to think that those things would be gone by tomorrow.

Everything was so confusing between us...well me. I couldn't deny that we weren't more than friends. Friends didn't kiss or hold hands. They didn't go on dates and they didn't give each other flowers. I was fooling myself. I was living in a fantasy world where I wouldn't get hurt. Embry was in this dream world with me and we lived happily ever after. I wanted it but this dream world was just that...a dream.

Sometimes there are happy endings, but more often than not, the ending isn't always that happy. It's painful and sad and hurtful. But it's real.

"Ariana?" Embry's soft voice interrupted my thought. I registered that his hand was resting on my knee. I turned my head towards him. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly. Once I had gotten over the fact that his voice was so caring I managed to nod my head.

"I'm fine." I murmured. He didn't look very convinced and it was then that I noticed we were parked, in Port Angeles, in front of the little movie theater they had. I had ignored him the entire ride to Port Angeles. I had been silent with my thoughts for an hours car ride. I guiltily offered him a small smile. He sighed and opened his door coming to my side. I unbuckled my seatbelt as he opened the door. Before I could get out, he stopped me.

"Ari...are you sure you're alright? If you don't want to do this then it's okay. We can go back to my place and rent a movie." He offered. "I'm fine." I repeated, moving a little closer to him. He shut is eyes for a second.

"You're positive?" He confirmed. I nodded my head and he moved so I could get out of the car. I grabbed his hand and in response, he pulled me closer to his side. I hadn't been to this movie theater since I was eight years old. "What movie do you want to see?" He asked. I blinked a few times in surprise.

"You're letting me choose?" I asked, surprised. He gave me a funny look and nodded his head slowly. "Of course." I chewed on my lip as I studied the movie choices. I hadn't been on a movie date in a long, _long _time where I got to choose what we watched.

"Um…" I trailed off, almost telling him to choose but deciding against it at the last second. "Can we see Colombiana?" I asked, looking up at him. He nodded his head without hesitation and shot me a smile. I mirrored it and he stepped forward, pulling me with him, to the front of the line. I really wanted to see Colombiana. I love action movies and this movie looked really good. After buying our tickets, he led me over to get snacks.

"What would you like?" He asked. I scrunched my nose and shook my head. "Come on, you have to get something. Official date rules." He insisted, his eyes sparkling. I really didn't want anything to eat.

"Um...Diet Coke." I told the girl behind the counter who was eyeing Embry. _Hello, I am standing right here._ I wanted to yell. Instead I stayed silent and shuffled a little closer to Embry. The girl, whose name tag said Jessica, pulled a cup off of the stack and put it under the soda machine, pushing the Diet Coke button, all without breaking her gaze away from Embry who was, by the way, still my boyfriend until midnight.

"What can I get _you_?" She asked Embry, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the counter. Embry asked for some various things but I didn't pay attention to what he was saying. I was busy glaring at the girl. I realized something part way through her getting Embry's food._ I was jealous_. There are very few times I had been jealous and knowing I was jealous of someone showing interest in Embry made me want to puke up my cheerios I had for breakfast.

"Are you sure you're okay, Ari?" He asked as he led us away from the concession stand. I nodded my head and walked with him to the room where the movie was being played. We found two seats in the middle of the theater and took our seats. My phone vibrated from my pocket and I reached for it so I could turn it off, but not before catching the text message that had just came through.

_If you are freaking out and really can't be there, _

_just call me and I'll bring some of the guys to crash your date. _

_Have fun, Ari._

_Jake._

I shut my eyes and breathed in deeply before shutting the phone off and slipping it into my pocket. I didn't need him or anyone else to save me because there was nothing to save from.

Nothing at all.

* * *

><p>The movie was good. I liked it a lot. I had fun.<p>

I cuddled into Embry's side the whole time.

We smiled. We laughed. He kissed the top of my head a couple times.

From the outside we would look like the perfect, happy couple.

We looked like we had been dating for a little while and were good together.

We were far from that...or were we?

I was having trouble deciding these days…

* * *

><p>I am an expert at looking fine and happy when I'm not, but I have been pretending too much. Even I sometimes had trouble figuring out if I am pretending or not. I don't <em>think <em>I am pretending but it is hard to tell. Instead of getting back on the highway, he surprised me by pulling into a little Italian restaurant. I guess it would make sense that we would go out to dinner too, it wasn't that late and I knew Embry liked to eat. I had watched him devour a whole popcorn and m&ms at the theater, offering some to me multiple times which I politely refused.

He went to the other side of the car and opened my door like always. It was such a nice jester that always made me happy. I thought boys only opened girls doors in books or cheesy romance movies...but then I met Embry. The thing was, he didn't see how much it meant to me. He didn't understand because he didn't have to even think about opening my door. He just did it like he was supposed to. As I stepped out of the car, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his mouth to mine. I hadn't kissed him since he picked me up and I was craving another one of his insanely addictive kisses.

"What was that for?" He asked as I pulled back. I shrugged. "Do I need a reason to kiss you?" I retorted. He gave me a smirk.

"No way." He answered, leaning down and pecking my lips again before taking my hand and heading towards the restaurant. "Are you going to Graham's Halloween party next week?" He asked as we took a seat. I shrugged and sipped at my water. Halloween was a week away and everyone was already talking about Graham's party. Apparently it was a yearly thing and everyone from La Push and a lot of teenagers from Forks went. He had told me about it a few days ago and I had given him a vague answer, not really wanting to commit to anything.

"He's weird." I stated. He laughed, causing me to smirk.

"Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees that!" He stated, still chuckling. I nodded my head. "I mean, I don't want to hang out with someone named after a cracker. It's...weird." He grinned widely and on an impulse, grabbed my hand that was resting on the table.

"You know, he has a huge crush on you." He stated, playing with my fingers. I rolled my eyes. I knew that but it didn't make me like him anymore. "I know, but I don't date people who are weird." I said, winking at him. He smirked and lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. The waitress came over, bringing us menus and to take our drink order. I noticed that she had a promise ring on her hand. I liked her already since she didn't eye Embry like she was thinking of things she'd like to do to him. I smiled kindly at her as I removed my hand from Embry's to take the menu from her.

"Can I start you guys off with some drinks?" She asked. After taking our drink order and walking away, we glanced at our menus. I decided to order spaghetti with a lemon sauce. I hadn't eaten much today since I knew I would be going out tonight. We talked some more and I grew more comfortable with being around and with him. I liked Embry, a lot. More than I had ever liked someone before but if I gave into every person who I liked then I might not be anything. I couldn't be re-broken. I had been mending myself for a long time and if someone hurt me again then I wouldn't be able to handle it. I don't think I could bare if Embry ever hurt me. Would I let him was the real question…

* * *

><p>After we had finished eating, we headed back to the car and towards La Push. The ride back was much different from the ride there. We talked the entire time and I fired off so many questions to him, most of which he answered. In the few weeks I had been here I hadn't bothered to learn much about him. I wanted to though. He deserved someone better than me but I hoped I could maybe change for him. Be someone who deserved to be with him.<p>

I learned his favorite color was green, he liked Lucky Charms, and his favorite class was art. I payed attention when he talked and I spoke up when necessary. Partway through our conversation we passed First Beach in La Push.

"Ooh, let's go to the beach!" I said, not wanting the date to end. He obliged, doing an illegal U-turn and driving into the parking lot. I unzipped my shoes and pulled my feet out of them, leaving them in the car. I jumped out of the car before Embry could reach my door and sprinted down the beach.

"Hey!" He yelled. I was fast. Really fast. But, unfortunately, he was faster. I let out a gasp as his big, warm arms wrapped around my middle, pulling me against him and affectively stopping me. I struggled for a moment but gave him, laughing. He chuckled against my neck before placing a kiss there. "You're fast." He commented in a bit of a surprised voice and I nodded my head before turning around in his arms.

"I used to run track." I told him. There were very few people who knew that. Collin knew but even my parents didn't. I never told them, I didn't think it was necessary for them to know. Maybe I should have told them though. Would they have come to my meets and have been proud? Would it maybe not have meant anything to them? I don't know.

"Really?" He asked. "Why didn't you join here?" Why didn't I join when I came to La Push? I could have. I was good enough and track was one of the only sports the La Push offered. I could be involved in the school… I shrugged.

"I guess I was just tired of running. You can't run forever."

* * *

><p>We stayed at the beach a long time. It was nice to be there so late. The dark made it more fun, having it be just us made it more fun. We didn't have others around judging us or watching our every move. We were just Embry and Ariana. We were just happy. My curfew was midnight so we finally had to leave for him to bring me home.<p>

"At least you don't have to worry about awkward first date kisses." I taunted as he walked me to the door. He chuckled a pulled me close to him, resting his hands on my hips and leaning his forehead against mine. "I had a really good time." He said softly, his warm breath blowing across my face. My eyes fluttered closed.

"Me too." I breathed out.

"Really?" He asked hopefully. I smiled, I wouldn't have spent this much time with him if I hadn't. I definitely owed Jake. I guess I would be doing a majority of the English project we were assigned yesterday. "Mhm." I murmured. He finally closed the small distance between us and pressed his lips to mine. I moved my right hand up to rest on the back of his neck and my left one to cup his cheek. After a little while he pulled back.

"It's after midnight and your mom is looking out the window." He said quietly. I sighed and opened my eyes looking into his dark eyes that were inches from mine.

"Thanks for the date." I offered, stroking his cheek before removing my hand from his face and pulling away from him. He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow." I added, walking towards my front door.

"Bye Ari." He said. I shut the door behind me and locked it.

"You kissed." My mom stated from behind me. I rolled my eyes before pushing past her. "Yeah, not like it was our first kiss but next time, don't snoop." I told her. She followed me into the kitchen.

"Is he your boyfriend now?" She asked. "No." I answered, taking the vase of flowers off the counter to bring to my room.

"Will he be your boyfriend soon?" She probed. _What was with the twenty questions?_ "I don't know. Probably not." I said, turning away from the counter. I caught her confused and hurt expression.

"Why?" She asked following me back out of the kitchen. I shrugged and started towards the stairs, her on my heels. "But Embry's so nice." She whined. I huffed. Tell me something I don't know. I walked into my room and put the flowers on my bureau. She, of course, followed me like we were playing follow the leader.

"I don't want a boyfriend." I said calmly. She frowned. "Why?"

"You just don't understand." I snapped. "You don't get it so just stop." She seemed a bit taken back by my tone of voice. "Can I just go to bed?" I offered in a softer tone. She sighed and nodded her head before leaving me alone.

* * *

><p><strong>A lot of thought and not as much dialog in the beginning here but I want you guys to understand her a little better. I hope you guys liked it though.(:<strong>

**Also, I got my drivers permit yesterday so if I go a _really _long time without posting it is because I crashed into a person and am currently in jail. **

**Remember to review! XX Cass**


	13. Past&Help

**Just a quick note: I have started school again. It is my junior year and this is the year that really counts. If I take a little while to post, it probably means I am slammed at school. I am still here though and I will promise to post the best material I can, as often as possible. Enjoy the chapter and remember to review!**

* * *

><p>"Hey." I said happily, leaning up to give him a kiss. He kissed me roughly for a second before puling back. "You should use Chapstick." He commented before pulling away and looping his arm around me and pulling me over to our friends. <em>Buy Chapstick.<em> I made a mental note.

"Hey Ari!" Shana said, shooting me a smile. I smiled a genuine one back. "Ooh, I love your jeans! Super hot." She said, adding a wink. She knew I loved these jeans. I had saved up for them for a while and I had bought them this weekend when we went shopping in Providence. I smirked. "Thanks, Shan." She turned to Sean, who she had a huge crush on, and started flirting with him. You could tell he really liked her too. They would be so cute together.

"Aw, you guys are so cute together!" Hannah gushed, clasping her hands together. I gave her a wiry smile. "Thanks." It was what people always said. They always commented on how cute we were together and I guess we were. I glanced up at him and he smiled crookedly down at me.

"Oh my God!" She practically shrieked. Everyone in our group turned to look at her. She was staring straight at me...or my arm. "What happened to your arm!" She gasped. I glanced down quickly to see a dark purple bruise peaking out from the sleeve of my shirt. Alex stiffened slightly from behind me.

"Nothing." I told her and the others, as carefree as I could manage. "I hit it on that metal thing outside my brothers door. She still looked concerned and her eyes flickered to Alex for a moment, so quick that I wasn't even sure it happened, before nodding her head.

"She's fine. I was with her when it happened." Alex said in a light voice. "Right, Babe?" He tightened his grip around my waist. I held back a whimper as he pushed down on cuts I had from his fingernails there. "Yup." I answered in a surprisingly steady voice. Everyone went back to their conversations.

"Come on, Babe, lets go to our lockers." He suggested. It was quite clear I didn't really have a choice. I gave him a weak smile before waving at the others and being pulled away towards the school."I thought I told you to wear a long-sleeved shirt." He said in a cold voice. I gulped, he was mad.

"But it's too hot." I complained. It was in the high sixties and even warmer in the school building, I would be uncomfortable in a long-sleeved shirt. "I wore jeans like you said." I pointed out. He snorted and glanced down at me as we walked into the school.

"You could have at least worn better jeans." He complained. My heart sunk. "What do you mean? I really like these jeans." I explained softly. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, they're great jeans and maybe if you were skinnier you could pull them off." He informed me. I glanced in the reflection of the office windows on the way by them. _He was right_.

"Hey Alex!" Jonathan said, walking towards us. He gave me a big smile and a wink. "Hey Ariana." He added. Alex wrapped his arms protectively around me.

"Hey now, John, no hitting on my girlfriend." He teased back. I slid my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. It was nice like this. It was good.

After all, he's only nice when there's somebody there.

* * *

><p><strong>(Present Day)<strong>

"Are you and Embry dating?" Collin asked hopefully from the passenger seat. "No." I answered, a little sharper then I intended. Collin frowned and looked like _he _was the one who was heartbroken.

"But I thought your one week thing ended yesterday...you're not anything with him?" He asked softly. I sighed and shot a glare in his direction. "We're not talking about that and no one is reminding Embry of it. I'm not addressing it until I really have to because I am fine with the way things are. Do you think you can keep _that _a secret from your friends?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ariaa!" He whined. "I apologized for that so much already! I'm sorry but what do you want me to say?" I noticed how he avoided my question. _And the brother of the year award goes to… _I pulled into our parking space and got out of the car, him following me. I didn't hesitate in walking towards the group of guys, and Kim, who always seemed to be in the same spot.

"Hey Ari." Kimberly spoke up first. I gave her a wave and glanced around the circle of people. "Where's Embry?" I asked to no one in particular. Quil spoke up answering me.

"He has to work today...Sam and Emily are up at the Makah Reservation visiting her family. They needed one more guy and Embry offered. Maybe you'll see him later." He said smiling at me. I nodded my head but couldn't keep the disappointed look off my face. _He had offered to work? Did he not want to see me? _Jake swung his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to his side.

"Come on Ri's...we have English class to get to and you and I need to have a talk." Jake said, pulling me along with him towards our classroom. He hummed and stopped at his locker, still not removing his arm from around me as if he was afraid I'd run. _Smart boy. _We were about to go to class when we were stopped by Graham.

"Hey Ariana...Jake…" He said. I gave him a fake smile. I noticed how he only focused on me. Jake pulled me a little closer to him and Graham took notice. "So...are you guys a thing now?" He asked, his voice becoming a little harder. I smirked at him.

"Yes, Jake and I are madly in love." I told him. I glanced sideways at Jake who was also smirking. "What can I say?" Jake said dreamily. "She's the one." Graham gave us a tight nod.

"Well...uh...never mind...I'll see you later Ariana...Jake." He mumbled before walking away. I waited until he was part way down the hall before bursting into laughter. Jake joined in as he led me to class. We sat down and he started the questioning.

"So how was the date?" He asked, giving me a knowing look. I paused, figuring out how to answer his question. I could lie but I really didn't want to. "I had fun." I told him truthfully. "Thanks for talking me out of backing out yesterday." He grinned in accomplishment.

"I knew you would have fun or else I wouldn't have made sure you went." He said, still proud of himself. I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're so amazing. What would the world do without you?" I mocked, sarcastically. "You're lucky it worked or else it could have ended very badly." He rolled his eyes as if he knew there was no way his plan could have failed.

"I'm glad you had fun." He finally said, nodding his head. I smiled at him and waited for the next question but it never came.

"What? You aren't going to tell me to officially be Embry's girlfriend?" I asked. Everyone told me we should be together. Kim would constantly talk Embry up, as if he needed it. Collin always reminded me how great Embry was. Quil brought him up at unnecessary times. Even Jared always made it clear that I was leading him on and needed to just date him. Of course he didn't say it in words as nice as that, but the message was clear. Jake just shrugged.

"You don't have to be his girlfriend. You guys are practically dating already. If you're not dating him because your scared then fine. I think you'll come around eventually and I know that Embry will wait for you to be okay and to not be scared. You don't have to be his girlfriend and no one should force you to be until you're ready so don't listen to the others. Screw them because they don't understand." He said. It was the most serious thing he had ever said to me and I blinked a couple times, not sure how to answer. I didn't get a chance because he continued.

"But if you're not dating him because your stubborn or waiting for something better to come along then I have no sympathy because being stubborn doesn't make you cool or strong...it makes you a bitch. And I think you know that Embry is as good as it gets." I blinked a few more times as the other students began to file into the room.

"Did you get any of the research for our project?" He asked, pulling a folder out of his bag, pretending he hadn't said anything that was important or meant something. "Um...y-yeah." I mumbled, pulling out my own research and putting it on the table.

* * *

><p>"Hey Emb...it's Ari...I didn't get to see you all day since you were working and I was wondering if you wanted to stop over later so we could hang out. Maybe watch a movie or something." I paused for a moment. "Call me back, maybe I'll see you later. Bye." I hung up the phone. This was the longest I had gone without seeing Embry since we met. It is totally depressing that I can't go an entire day without seeing him. I missed him and I had seen him about fourteen hours ago. I sighed and flopped down on the couch, punching the big pillow that was next to me a couple times. Embry always picked up the phone when I called. He had never not answered. I didn't even know what his answering machine sounded like until today.<p>

"Woah, Killer, what's up with you?" Collin asked, coming into the living room and sitting in one of the chairs. "Oh nothing, just pretending this is your face, thats all." I lied, giving him a sarcastic smile. He rolled his eyes but didn't call me out on my bluff. He stood up and pulled me up from the couch by both my hands.

"Come on, we're going to Quil's for dinner." He said, pulling me towards the front door. I bit my lip and hesitated. _What if Embry called and wanted to hang out?_ Something inside me told me that if he hadn't answered then he wasn't going to be coming over or calling me back anytime soon. "Unless you have other plans…" Collin added, trailing off. I shook my head.

"Nope. Lets go." I said following him out of the house and down the street towards Quil's. He opened the door without knocking which he knew I hated. "Collin! You have to stop doing that. I will seriously disown you." I complained. He barked out a laugh.

"You never _owned _me." He mocked. I huffed and pushed into him but he barely moved. _Stupid strong people_. We walked in. Quil and Jake were in the same position as yesterday, flopped against the couch, playing video games. I had secretly hoped that Embry would be with them and hadn't answered his phone because he was in the middle of an intense game. I masked my emotions before anyone could notice.

"Hey." Collin said, sitting next to Jake. He immediately was immersed with the game, telling the guys what to do while they told him that they didn't need help and to stop talking. Well...they didn't say it in that nice of words… I decided to go to the kitchen to see Auntie Joy. I made sure to take the long way, in front of the television, and to saunter slowly.

"_Ari!_" Jake whined. "This is no way to treat the love of your life!" He accused while I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Aria! _Mooooove!_" Quil joined in with the whining. I chuckled and left the living room, heading into the kitchen.

"Ariana!" Auntie Joy said, wiping her hands on her apron before moving to give me a hug. I hugged her back slowly. I really did hate hugs. She moved back to the stove where she was stirring a big pot.

"Jacob! You're staying for dinner, right?" She called. I could hear them cheering each other on in whatever stupid game they were playing and then two disappointed sounds and one happy sound. _I guess Jake won… _They came sauntering into the kitchen.

"Absolutely." Jake answered her earlier question. "I love your pasta and meatballs." He rubbed his stomach in content and took a seat at the counter next to me.

"Is Embry coming over too?" She asked. I straightened up and turned to Quil to find out the answer. He gave me an apologetic look. "I don't think so but I can call him." He told his mom. She gave him a smile and nodded her head.

"Can I use your phone, Ari? He'll pickup for you." Quil said, turning to me. I grimaced. "I um, actually called him earlier and he didn't pick up...he's probably busy with something." I told him. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion before he nodded his head. _I guess no one was going to call Embry…_

"Hello!" My mother's cheery voice filled the house. She walked in, carrying ten big loaves of Italian bread._ Would we really need that much?_ My mom and Auntie Joy hugged and I noticed how my mom was a lot more enthusiastic about hugs than I was.

"There's my favorite sister-in-law!" Joy announced, giving her another squeeze before letting go. "I believe I am your only sister-in-law but I'll take it." She shot back with a laugh. Quil made an over exaggerated face mimicking his mother and I mirrored one pretending to be my mom. Collin coughed, choking on his drink. Quil and I high-fived as he spit his drink all over the counter.

"Collin! Don't you know how to drink out of a big boy cup by now?" My mom scolded. I made a face and wagged my finger at him, tsking and he shot a glare in my direction. Jake watched the whole thing with amusement.

Uncle Quil and my father soon arrived back from their jobs and we all gathered in the kitchen to get our food to eat.

"Honey, you know how fattening pasta is." My mother scolded softly. We were at the end of the line of people. She shot me an apologetic look and continued to get her food before following people into the dinning room. I stood there alone for a second before pushing the pasta off my plate and back into the massive tin. I blinked down at my plate of salad before walking slowly into the dinning room. Jake stopped me at the doorway, glanced down at my food then back up at me.

"Go get some pasta." He encouraged. I shook my head. "I had a big lunch." I said quietly, hoping not to draw any attention to us. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, probably to call me out on my lie, but instead I pushed past him and took a seat at the table. Everyone was immersed in their own conversations and no one spoke to me. Jake took the seat next to me and kept quiet as well.

Isn't it funny how in a room full of people you know, that you can feel so alone.

"I'm done." I told anyone who bothered to listen. "I'm gonna head home, big history test tomorrow." My mother nodded her head before turning back to Auntie Joy. I sighed and put my plate on the counter before leaving and walking back down the street towards my house. I checked my phone again even though I knew he hadn't called or texted. I walked into my house and did exactly what I said I was going to do. Study for history.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the frame of my open door. I glanced up to see Jake leaning against the door, smiling at me.<p>

"Can I come in?" He asked. Before I could give him permission he walked in, glanced around a flopped down on my bed. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Sure, make yourself at home." I grumbled while he shot me another charming smile. I noticed he was holding a bowl of pasta. I glared at food, praying he wouldn't spill it on my bed.

"I brought this for you." He said, holding out the bowl. I scrunched my nose. I'd rather have the pasta on my bed then in my stomach. "I'm good Jake. I already ate." I told him, sending him a smile before turning back to my homework.

"No, no, I brought it just for you. Eat it." The way he said it was in a carefree tone that still made it known that he wasn't giving me a choice. I shook my head. "I really don't want it." I said a little sterner.

**_"Eat it."_** He repeated. I reached for the bowl, unable to help myself and brought it closer to me. "Please don't." I whispered. He just stared at me and watched as I moved some onto the fork to bring to my mouth. My bottom lip trembled and I tried to keep my mouth closed but I couldn't help it. I placed the big bite in my mouth and chewed. I forced myself to swallow and as soon as the food went down, I sprang up, dropping the bowl. I watched as Jacob reached out and caught it so it wouldn't spill before I sprinted into the bathroom and vomited up the ziti, as well as the salad I had for dinner. My hair was pulled away from my face from unseen hands and I knew it was Jacob. I finally slumped back away from the toilet and sat there for a minute before standing up. I knew Jacob was standing right behind me but I couldn't bring myself to face him. It was then that I realized that I was crying. I wiped under my eyes even though it didn't help anything. I moved over to the sink and brushed my teeth for the next five minutes, still crying.

I shut the sink off and turned to walk away but Jake pulled me into his arms. I tried to fight him off and push away from him but he was just too strong. They are always just to strong, huh?

"Come on, I'll get Embry." He soothed. I finally just collapsed against him.

"No. He doesn't want me, he doesn't like me anymore. He doesn't want me to be his girlfriend." I sobbed out. I hadn't cried in so long. I hadn't cried since we were back in Rhode Island. I hated crying, especially in front of people. It showed weakness, it let people know that they had power over you. I tried my best not to cry unless I really couldn't help it.

"**_No_. **You mean so much to him, don't say that." He growled, holding me closer. I just shook my head and continued to cry. After a little bit, he finally picked me up and carried me back to my room, climbing onto my bed. I'm not sure how long we sat there, me just sniffling into his shirt. I think I might have dozed off a couple times but I'm not sure.

"You're so pretty." He muttered softly at one point. That just made me cry more. "Stop, Jake. You don't get it, you don't understand so _screw you._" I hissed, trying to steady my voice, and putting a spin on the words he had said to me earlier that day. He pushed my head back against his chest and shh-ed me.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" My brothers voice growled. I had stopped crying and was now just laying there, against Jacob's chest, still and emotionless.

"Nothing." Jake answered in a soft voice. "I need you to cover my shift tonight." Collin let out a low growl and I turned my head to look at him, moving for the first time. He softened, probably seeing some expression on my face that showed just how messed up I truly was. He turned to leave not saying anything else.

"Oh, and Collin?" Jake called. My brother stopped and turned around. "If anyone asks, **_this never happened and I wasn't here._**" He commanded. Collin straightened up and nodded his head. He glanced once more at me before turning and walking away. I heard the back door open and shut downstairs. Jake waited a couple minutes before speaking up.

"Are you going to talk to me now?" He asked. I shook my head no. "Well, I was just asking you to be polite. You're going to talk to me or I am going to your parents and telling everybody." I squeaked and looked up at him, wondering if he was serious. He so was.

"How long?" He asked. I didn't like talking about myself or giving out personal information. I didn't like my past. I didn't like forming relationships - even friendships - with people. "A year, maybe more." I answered. He didn't respond for a little bit.

"You don't have to." He finally said. "You don't understand." I whispered back. I fell asleep a little while after that.

When I woke up the next morning, Jacob was still there. My head was resting on his shoulder and he was snoring quite loudly. I moved a little and held back a groan. It was a very uncomfortable way to fall asleep. It wasn't like when Embry slept over and we would wake up wrapped in each others arms, though Jake was just as warm. Waking up next to him made me feel empty. I got up quietly and picked out my clothes for the day before taking them into the bathroom so I could shower. I wasn't going to walk back into my room and get changed there like I did with Embry.

"Hey Honey!" My mom called from the landing as she started walking down the stairs to leave for work. "Collin said you weren't feeling well last night, you're feeling better now?" She asked. I gave her my best fake smile.

"Yeah, much better." I told her. She smiled, nodded her head, and called bye before heading out the front door.

* * *

><p>I came back into my room a half hour later, dressed, and my hair wrapped in a towel. Jacob was gone from my bed but a piece of paper was folded neatly and placed on my pillow. I opened it.<p>

_Ariana:_

_Eat breakfast. I'll know if you don't._

_I'll see you at school._

_-Jacob_

He used my full name. Did that mean I was in trouble? Did that mean I was _still_ in trouble? Why did he even care? It didn't matter. It was no big deal.

* * *

><p>Embry's not here again.<p>

I think they all know that I'm upset about this.

No one said anything but they know. I tried to pretend I wasn't mad or disappointed or feeling extra crummy about myself. I think I succeeded, smiling and telling Quil how much fun dinner was last night and how I'm sure my mom would have his family over soon at our house. I asked Kimberly if she would be my partner for our Chemistry lab. I joked to Brady that since we had an art project due today, that was why Embry wasn't here.

I think it was really convincing.

* * *

><p>I sat down at lunch with my usual Diet Coke.<p>

"Yeah, it was real weird. He _volunteered _to give Leah the day off. At least we know who Leah's new favorite is." Quil said glumly. I don't think they thought I could hear them but I could. He didn't want to see me. He would rather work the see me during our two classes together. The was a real slap in the face.

Jake sat down next to me, putting a chicken sandwich in front of me. I sent a glare at him but he just smiled. Kim was looking at us curiously.

"We had a little bet and Ari here won. I owe her lunch." He explained, winking at me. He had the fucking audacity to wink at me. I ate the whole thing because I didn't really have a choice. Collin kept shooting me looks and then looking between me and Jake. Probably because Jake kept glancing over at me to make sure I was eating.

I hate it here. I hate it like this.

I wish I was back in Rhode Island.

* * *

><p>Jake stayed for dinner that night. He didn't make me finish my food like he had at lunch which I was grateful for. I didn't think I <em>could<em> eat anymore. I excused myself before Collin and Jake had finished eating. Mom said she was waiting for Dad to get home so she could eat with them.

A little while later, Jake knocked on the frame of my door, much like he had done yesterday. My eyes shot up to him, fearing he brought food with him. Seeing my alarm, he held his hands up in surrender.

"I just wanted to say goodbye." He said. I nodded my head, mumbling a bye before looking back down at my homework. He sighed and came to sit opposite of me on the bed.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. I don't know why he whispered, no one could hear us up here. I just nodded my head again. He sighed and placed a finger under my chin, lifting it up so I was forced to look at him. "You don't understand yet, but you will." He said softly. "I know you hate me now but you'll be better. I promise." He removed his hand and sighed. I just nodded my head again.

"Don't do anything stupid when I leave. You're beautiful." He told me. I nodded my head for the forth time knowing he was lying. He sighed _again,_ frustrated, and stood up to leave. Collin came trudging up the stairs and stopped outside my room. He was eyeing us wearily. Jake kissed the top of my head like Embry always does..._did, _making me finally look up at him and give him a small smile. He winked and walked past Collin, calling bye to both of us.

* * *

><p>"Aria?" Collin asked on our way to school.<p>

"Mhm?" I answered, half paying attention to him, half to the road.

"Are you dating Jake?" He asked. My attention was now fully on him. Normally, if he had asked this question, I would have laughed but the seriousness in his voice and the concern on his face stopped me.

"Am I-what? No. Why would you think that?" I asked. He sighed and shook his head, ignoring my question and asking a new one instead.

"Are you anything with him?" He probed. "Seriously Col, whats up with this? Jake and I are just friends. What's gotten into you and what would be the big deal if we _were_ anything more?" I questioned. I couldn't imagine being with Jake, he was like a big brother to me. His eyes widened.

"Because you _have_ to be with Embry!" He exclaimed. My curious look turned into a glare and I whipped my head to look out the front window again as we pulled into the school parking lot.

"I'm _not _going to be with Embry. I'm mad at him so don't get your hopes up." I spat, pulling into the spot we usually parked in. Collin imitated the kicked puppy-dog look perfectly.

To bad I'm a cat person…

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><p><strong>Long chapter, just because I love you guys!<strong>

**Ariana and Jake will not in anyway be together! I promise! I just need to put that out there. Also, I apologize for no Embry in this chapter. He'll be back next chapter though.**

**What do you think of Jakey finding out about Ari?**

**And do you guys like the flashback in the beginning? Should I do more of those? Let me know in the reviews!**

**XX. Cassy**


	14. Phased&Confused

**New chapter! Hope you guys enjoy and please remember to review. It makes my day.**

**Also, I never really said this when I started the story but I have a one-shot called _Speak Now_ that is Kim and Jared and it is the Kim and Jared from this story. You don't have to read it and it doesn't have any of the storyline from this story in it, but if you want an insight into Kim's mind then you can check it out.(:**

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><p><strong>Jake's Point of View:<strong>

I watched as Collin got out of the car first, followed by Ari. Just like every morning before this, Ariana glanced over at our group. I don't think she even realized that she did it. It was like a process. She would pull into the parking lot, taking the turn a bit to fast, pull into the same spot, get out of the car, look over, and decide if she wanted to come over and see us. A lot of times she would walk over and stand next to Embry, talking to him, other times she would come over to talk to me or Kim or to make fun of Jared's shirt. I was hoping today would be one of those days, especially because who was standing next to me.

When she glanced over today she didn't look happy to see us, she didn't look mad either, she looked downright depressed. Her eyes fell upon Embry, who was standing next to me, smiling sheepishly at her and holding a cup of coffee as a peace offering. She didn't even bother to mask her emotions, she made sure to let him know how hurt she was before turning her head and walking in the opposite direction, towards the school. I could feel the self-hatred rolling off of Embry and I clapped him on the back.

"I'll go talk to her." I suggested. He nodded his head solemnly and I sighed. "It's gonna be okay, Man, it will all work out." _Hopefully._

"She hates me." He mumbled. _Yeah, she does. _"Nah, no she doesn't. She's just kinda pissed off, she'll get over it. I'll blackmail her into talking to you." I said with a wink, only half joking. He just nodded his head again. "I'll bring this to her." I added, taking the coffee out of his hands, because even if she didn't want it, I could totally use a coffee. I took off towards the school, clapping Collin on the back as I went. He didn't say anything to me, just heading off towards the rest of the pack. I stopped at Ari's locker where she was getting her books out.

"Good morning, Ri-Ri." I said happily. She didn't look like she was having a good morning. "I'm not talking to him." She said sharply, getting right to the point. "You know me so well." I teased, bumping her lightly. That managed to spark a small smile. I took it as a victory and continued. "But, he brought you coffee so you might as well get something out of this not-relationship you have with him." She glanced up at me and then to the coffee. I knew she really wanted it. I also knew she was stubborn.

"I'm not having it." She said, collecting the rest of her books from her locker before shutting it. I just shrugged and took a sip. It wasn't how I usually had my coffee but it was better than no coffee at all. She longingly stared at the cup in my hands before lunging towards me for it. She was quick but I was quicker and I moved the cup out of her reach and caught her around her waist.

"This coffee can be yours for just the small price of talking to your asshole not-boyfriend." I told her in my best game show voice. She was straight face for a couple seconds before a little giggle escaped he mouth. I grinned at her and handed the coffee over.

I knew she wasn't going to talk to Embry right now. She knew she wasn't going to talk to Embry right now. But I got her to smile and laugh a little so it was worth it.

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View:<strong>

"I'm sorry, Ari. I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me." He begged some more. I dipped my paintbrush into the red paint again before slapping it onto the paper, still ignoring him. The teacher walked around, complimenting everyone on their artwork. She cleared her throat from behind me, looking down at my _masterpiece._

"I call it 'Death by Paintbrush'." I told her. She gave me a little bit of an unsure smile and nodded her head. "Um...in that case...good job?" She offered. I turned back around, adding her name to the list of people I was ignoring. There were currently two names on the list.

Embry's large hand reached out and rubbed my arm. It would have been soothing if I hadn't flinched in surprise and almost fallen off my chair. Brady caught me and I hesitantly moved my chair closer to his, farther away from Embry. His heartbroken face hurt me but I hardly noticed, I was already hurt enough by him. We sat in silence for a little bit longer.

"Embry?" I asked hesitantly. His head shot up to look at me. "How many girls have you dated?" He seemed confused by my question but happy I was talking to him. "Um...three or four, maybe?" He questioned. I nodded my head.

"Did you really like any of them...or even love them?" I asked. He stopped for a second, giving me a skeptical look. "Ari…" He started slowly but I held my hand up to stop him. "Just answer the question." I insisted. He ran a hand through his hair and put down his own paintbrush.

"I don't know. At the time, yeah, I really liked them I guess. I don't think I knew what love was though." He told me. I thought over his answer for a moment. "If you really liked or _loved _them, would you purposefully ignore them for two days and not even text them?" I asked. His face looked pained.

"It's okay Embry." I told him. He looked a little surprised for a second but continued to stay silent. "It's okay to change your mind. You changed your mind with those other girls so you're allowed to change your mind with me. If you didn't want to be my boyfriend anymore, you could have just told me. I'm not an ideal girlfriend anyway and I get it. _It's okay._" I said softly, resting one of my hands on his own.

"No, Ari, you don't get it." He started off before pausing and seeming to think back over my words. "I thought we weren't in a relationship. I thought I wasn't your boyfriend." He said, grabbing my hand. I laughed without humor.

"_Bullshit_. I don't kiss or have sleepovers with random people unless I'm drunk. You were my boyfriend and we both knew it." I told him, giving him a hurt smile. He looked crushed. "It's okay." I repeated for the third time. "Really, I promise. It's happened before and it will happen again."

The bell rang and I stood up, throwing my paintbrush in the sink and putting my artwork on the drying rack. The red slashes and marks bled together and looked exactly what I would imagine someones face would look like if I killed them using a paintbrush. Brady was patting Embry on the back as I walked past them and out into the hallway. Lunch was next and I was still trying to find a way out of it.

I ducked into the library, hoping no one had seen me. I didn't want to go to lunch and I didn't want to shove food down my throat because, to be honest, I wanted to vomit everything I had eaten in the last two days.

I snatched a random book off a shelf and sat down in the back. A few other people loitered around the small library but none of them paid any attention to me. I haven't wanted to curl up in a hole and die for a long time but today was one of those days.

The door slammed open a couple minutes later and I jumped in surprise. Jake was standing in the doorway looking furious. Even the librarian didn't tell him to be quiet, she looked a little frightened herself. He spotted me and went right towards me. _Aw fuck_.

"What the hell are you doing?" He spat, clearly pissed off.

"Just catching up on my reading." I drawled, doing my best to hide how scared I really was. I knew I wasn't going to win this battle with him, but I sure as hell was going to try. I decided that fighting in the school library in front of a teacher and students wasn't the best idea, so I grabbed my bag and left my discarded book on the table before walking right out of the library, Jake on my tail. I didn't stop until I was part way down the hallway.

"Will you just leave me the fuck alone!" I growled, whipping around to face him. He glared at me. "No! How am I supposed to help you if you don't let me?" He shot back. I crossed my arms.

"I don't _need _help. I'm fine." I hissed. He snorted, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms, matching me. "No, you're not." He insisted. "And you are going to come with me, back into the cafeteria, and eat lunch."

"No."

Jacob Black apparently didn't like when people said no to him. He grabbed my wrist lightly and started leading me towards the cafeteria.

"Stop! Stop! Jake!" I panicked. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" He stopped and turned to face me with softer eyes before they widened slightly.

"I-calm down!" He said in a shocked voice. I lifted up my hands to realize they were shaking. _What the?_ I looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Shh…" He mumbled, glancing around the hallway. I realized I had started to whimper. "Calm down, you're okay. You don't have to go. I wont make you, it's okay." He insisted softly, wrapping an arm around my waist. My shaking slowed a little and I nodded my head, staring into his eyes. He seemed to hypnotize me.

"**_Calm down._**" He instructed, reaching up to cup my cheek. I took a couple deep breaths. _Did I just have a panic attack?_ Jacob seemed more panicked than I was. "You don't have to go eat, it's okay." He whispered again. I nodded my head and the shaking slowly subsided. "It's okay." He breathed out again, sounding like he was reassuring himself more than me. I nodded my head a second time and breathed out a shaky breath. "Come on." He murmured, guiding me towards the school exit.

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View:<strong>

I watched as they walked away, their arms around each other, him whispering in her ear. My heart felt like it was going to rip out of my chest. I had left the cafeteria to see if I could find Ari and apologize again. I needed to tell her how much she meant to me, how much I _loved _her, and that she wasn't just one of those girls I had dated before. She was important to me. I needed to explain to her why I had ignored her.

Instead, when I opened the door, I found my best friend and alpha, with his arm around her and his hand on her cheek. The betrayal cut through me and I fought control to keep silent so he wouldn't notice me. He whispered a couple things in her ear and she nodded her head, leaning into him a little, before they both took off down the hall towards the school exit.

Betrayal.

Jacob and I had been best friends since we were in diapers. How could he do this to me? Was this his way of getting over Bella-freaking-Swan? If so, it was a shitty way to do so and not what I meant when I told him to find a new girl at school. I wanted nothing more then to go after him and rip his face to shreds, to go all vampire on his ass and claim Ari for myself, but I couldn't.

I couldn't go after them and I couldn't go for a run in the woods, he would know, he always knows. Instead I stormed back into cafeteria and over to the pack's table. I'm sure I caused quite a few heads to turn, but I couldn't care less. The pack didn't seem that surprised that I was acting this way. On any other day they would have, but today, no.

"Did she reject you again?" Jared asked. His voice was teasing but I could tell he was trying to cover up the actual care in his voice. I just stared down at my tray of food, not wanting to eat.

"That bad?" Quil asked, way more sympathetic than Jared. I couldn't even answer them. I didn't even know _how_ to answer them. How do you tell your family that you've been betrayed by one of them?

"She chose someone else." I finally stated quietly. Collin sucked in a breath from across the table.

"Nah, Dude. She's your imprint, she'll be over it in a few days and you'll live happily ever after. Don't worry about it." Paul insisted. I sighed softly, wishing it was that simple.

"Is it Graham or Cole?" Quil asked. "'Cuz you know I will beat up either of them for you." He insisted. Nice to know _one _of my friends will always be there for me. I just shook my head._ How could she choose him over me?_ I get that we were fighting but I guess I just thought that we would always fall back into place, even when times were rough.

I was wrong. Oh so very wrong.

"Um...Embry?" Collin cleared his throat nervously. "Wa-was it Jake?" He said it in a soft, fearful voice, as if he didn't really want it to be true.

"What the hell are you ta-"

"Yeah." I interrupted Brady, mid-sentence. Everyones faces ranged from disbelief to shocked to anger. Jared growled softly and tightened his arm around Kim. He understood imprinting, he understood how strong it was and how much it would hurt to see your imprint with someone else.

"No. He wouldn't do that." Quil defended. I stayed silent and Collin was giving me his best puppy-dog eyes, mumbling about how 'she lied' and 'didn't trust him anymore'.

"Are you sure?" Paul asked, skeptically. I shrugged.

"It sure looked that way when I walk into the hallway to see their arms around each other and his hand on her cheek." I told him glumly. I didn't even care, I was allowed to feel sorry for myself. I was allowed to feel horrible and hate myself. "And then they left together out the front." I concluded.

"Jake." Kim sighed, in that overly pity-filled voice. "There must be some misunderstanding. Jake wouldn't do that to you and I really don't think Ariana would either." She insisted. No one answered.

"He's come over my house a lot in the past few days." Collin said slowly, seeming to choose his words carefully.

"Has he hung out with her a lot?" Quil asked Collin, probably hoping to find a way that this information wouldn't be true. Collin looked weary and glanced around before looking at the table.

Something dawned on me.

"Did he _order_ you not to tell us?" I growled. Collin's silence confirmed that answer. Jake never used his beta-order. He hated it. This was serious if he was willing to manipulate the lowest ranking pack member. He didn't even face it like a man. He couldn't even man-up to it and admit he was stealing my imprint. He hid behind his wolf rights.

Asshole.

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><p><strong>Jake's Point of View:<strong>

Apparently almost turning into a overgrown dog for the first time is tiring. She was slumped asleep against me in her car. I felt bad. We hadn't even considered her phasing, we all though Leah was just some freak accident. Collin phased and Ariana carried the same gene as him. It made sense butS she wasn't going to phase. I would make sure of it. She shouldn't have to deal with things like this and maybe I could keep her from phasing. She didn't shake when she was angry or upset. It was when she was scared. I remembered Collin and Embry's thoughts of her the night she had a nightmare about the wolves. She had been shaking. They thought it was just because she was scared but maybe it was almost phasing.

_How could we have missed this? How could we have not considered this happening?_

Now, the real question.

To tell Sam or not to tell Sam?

If I told Sam then he would be all over her, watching her every minute of the day, which would just make her mad. I could keep her from getting mad and scared. I could keep her from becoming one of us.

I put her keys in the ignition and drove towards her house. School would be ending soon and she wasn't in any position to drive home. I also wouldn't really have an explanation to anyone who asked what was going on. I pulled into her driveway and shifted a little.

"Ari…" I said quietly. "Wake up." She moved a little.

"Embry?" She murmured softly. My heart broke. "No, it's Jake." I answered, opening the drivers door and pulling her onto my lap and into my arms so I could carry her inside.

"Not Embry?" She mumbled as I stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind us. "Not Embry." I repeated, walking into her unlocked house and up the stairs.

"Oh." She whispered sleepily as I laid her on top of her bed. "I'll come over tonight and see you, okay?" I asked. She nodded her head and just so she would remember, I grabbed a piece of paper from her printer and wrote down what I had told her, leaving it on her nightstand. I patted her head once before heading out the front door and back to the school to get my car and bring Embry and Quil home.

I had decided on the way here that I was going to tell Embry about Ariana's almost phase so he could watch out for her and be prepared that it might happen...but it totally wasn't. I was going to make sure of it. I made it back to the school in record time as the last bell of the day was ringing.

I watched as some of the guys came out of the school. Jared glared at me and tightened his arm around Kim, leading both of them in the opposite direction. I raised my eyebrows in confusion at him but turned my attention to Collin who was looking around the parking lot.

"Collin!" I called. He glanced over at me then looked around the parking lot some more before heading towards me. "Hey, Ari left already so I can bring you home." I told him. He fidgeted slightly.

"Um...that's okay. I'll walk." He said quietly. "It's not a big deal. It's on the way." I insisted. He shook his head and started to back away, just as Embry and Quil came towards the car.

"Hey guys." I said, smiling at them. Brady rushed over to the scene with an expectant look on his face and Seth already had his phone out dialing someone as Embry punched me in the jaw.

"What the fuck!" I growled, spitting blood out of my mouth and rubbing my aching jaw. As a werewolf, it was very seldom that any of us would actually get hurt. It usually only happened during a vampire attack or a friendly scuffle with a brother (or sister), Embry punching me came as a total surprise. He was always the calm one of the group, he helped talk others out of fighting and he always had my back.

Embry was shaking and I started to shake too. I had made it my mission to protect and help his imprint and this was how he was saying thank you? Granted, he didn't know I was helping and saving her life while putting in a good word for him, but still.

"I can't believe you would do that!" He yelled back. I couldn't even stop myself from punching him square in the nose. "Do what, you fucking moron!" I shot back, livid. Quil was tugging on Embry muttering how it wasn't worth it and to back off.

"No." I shot at Quil. "I want to know what he is _so _mad about!" I yelled. Embry shoved Quil away from him and took a step closer to me.

"Oh, like you don't know." He spat in my face. I stood up straighter so I could be taller than him. "Obviously I don't." I answered, starring him down.

"You must think I'm so stupid, I'm just Embry, your bastard sidekick who is always in the background to the mighty Jacob Black, Chief of our tribe." He growled lowly, I wasn't even sure if the people who had surrounded us could hear him. I just snapped at that. It was one thing to be mad at someone but I hadn't even done anything wrong.

"No wonder Ari doesn't want you anywhere near her, you're an asshole." I knew it was the wrong thing to say and I knew it was a low blow and untrue but I couldn't help it. He just punched me in front of most of my pack and the entire school. I didn't deserve it, that I was sure of. Embry started shaking harder and made a very animalistic sound at me. I just bared my teeth. Paul pushed through the groups of people who had gathered and grabbed onto Embry pushing him away from me and towards the woods. Seth came towards me but I held my hands up.

"**_Don't even think about it._**" I growled. He stopped. Maybe I was really threatening or maybe he saw that I really could control myself. Or maybe I had actually Beta-commanded him by accident. I was doing that a lot lately, huh?

"There is nothing to look at here." I barked at the stupid High Schoolers who were hoping for more of a fight. A bunch of them quickly scrambled away from the scene and others backed away slowly, probably hoping I would punch poor Seth or something. I controlled my shaking and turned back towards my car.

"**_Get in._**" I ordered Quil and Collin, still in a hard voice. Collin looked absolutely petrified and it made my face relax a little and I didn't my best to look less intimidating. I didn't want anyone in the pack to be afraid of me, especially a little freshmen. Quil looked weary.

"Um, you want me to drive?" He offered.

"No."

They got in, Quil in the passenger seat and Collin in the back. I pulled out of my spot, driving through the parking lot at four times the _suggested _speed limit. My hands clenched the steering wheel.

"What the _hell_ just happened?" I finally asked. It came out a lot less intimidating then I hoped it would._ Did I just lose Embry?_

"Embry found out about Aria." Quil spoke up sadly. I groaned. She was going to hate me, how the hell did he even find out.

"He's mad I didn't tell him." I choked out softly. How was I going to tell Ariana that all her friends knew about what happened? She'll think I was the one who told them. I had been so careful to keep it a secret.

"Well, yeah." Quil said in an annoyed voice. "That among the obvious." I could tell just by the way he said it that he wasn't on my side. He had no right to judge me on my decision about this. She wasn't going to get better if everyone was constantly watching over her and badgering her about everything. She couldn't even handle me doing that and if she had all of us doing that then she would combust or move away, and we couldn't have that.

"Seriously guys, I made the right choice about this and I knew you would all find out eventually but she didn't need you all to know." I said in an equally annoyed voice.

"But she's Embry's _imprint_!" Collin whined from the backseat. I knew he was Embry's biggest fan and was super excited about having Embry as a future-brother-in-law, although right now, the whole brother-in-law thing wasn't looking too good. I sighed.

"I get it, but he didn't need to know and just because I kept it from him doesn't make me a bad person." I argued. "He was the only person she wasn't related too who was nice to her and didn't judge her. She doesn't need him acting like that around her!" I was trying to figure out how I was going to keep Ari calm enough to not phase when I told her tonight. I wasn't going to let her find out tomorrow at school.

"Seriously Jake, you are going to turn this on us?" Quil snapped. "Just because Bella would rather be with Sparkly-Ass then with you, doesn't mean you can steal someones imprint. Do you fucking understand what an imprint it?" I slammed on the breaks in front of his house and turned to him.

How dare he bring up Bella, he knew how much she meant to me. He knew how hard it was to get over her, but I had. I had gotten over her and I was happy for her. I was reminded all the time how I wasn't good enough for her but I- wait. What?

"Why would I _steal his imprint_?" I asked in a shocked voice. Quil snapped his teeth at me. "Dating, kissing, whatever, with someone who belongs to someone else is stealing Jake!" He yelled.

"You-you think I...you think we...that we..._Quil_!" I stuttered out. "Ari and I are just friends." Quil looked shocked but skeptical of my statement so I continued. "I would _never _do that to Embry and no offense to Ari, cuz I love her to death, but she's got _way _to many problems for me to handle unless I was bound to her for life."

"You're not dating her?" Collin asked from the backseat. I had forgotten he was even here. "Noo! I don't see her like that at all!" I insisted.

"Then what were you talking about when we asked about… What's wrong with her?" Quil asked. Relief rushed through me for a moment before I went into a panic. Relief that Embry wasn't really mad at me, it was just a misunderstanding, relief that they didn't know she was bulimic, relief that I wasn't going to have to tell her that everyone knew. It was such a fucking relief. Then the panic came. I had told them too much already, not enough for them to guess what exactly was going on but I was going to have to lie to them some more.

"Nothing. Something happened but she's fine and she just didn't want anyone to know." I said simply, trying to seem as laid back about it as possible. Quil looked suspicious still, but it was Collin who spoke up before he could voice his thoughts on what was wrong.

"Is she hurt? Are you sure she's all right? Nothing is gonna happen to her, right?" He asked, wide eyed. The only person he looked up to more than Embry was Ari and as much as I wanted to tell him that she wasn't all right and wouldn't be for a little bit, I couldn't. I just couldn't betray her like that, because if I did then I would be just like everyone else who had hurt her.

"She's fine, Collin." I said softly, lying straight to his face. "I was just being her friend. Nothing more." At least the last part was true. A howl that I knew was Sam's, calling for me, rang through the forrest. Quil patted me on the back before getting out of the car, Collin in tow.

"Good luck." Collin said, following his cousin up the steps of his house. Quil was going to need a new video game partner for today since I would skittering my way around Sam wanting to know everything and worrying about Embry wanting to kill me. I drove past Quil's and then Ari's, glancing up at her bedroom window. Her lights were still out, meaning she was asleep.

At least she was safe.

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><p><strong>How was it? <strong>

**I hope it was okay. Especially since most of it was in Jake's point of view.**

**I almost had Jake spill the beans on the anorexia but I just couldn't do it! Also, to all my Wonderlanders: I'm sorry I posted in this story before Kim and Jared's! I just _really _wanted to write this because I can't wait for Embry and Ariana to really be together and be happy. I am working on Wonderland though! Pinkie promise!**

**XX. Cassy**


	15. Boyfriends&Alphas

**This chapter is for my friend and hundredth reviewer, Hannah Berry. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews this story, it really means a lot to me. The ending was originally kinda different and the chapter was longer but my computer froze and I lost a bunch of the story.): Hope it's okay the way it is!**

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><p>I sat cross-legged on my bed, waiting for Jacob. He said he would be here soon. There was a light thud on the ground next to me and I looked up to see Jacob had jumped in my window. I couldn't even compliment his athletics, I was focused on his face.<p>

"Oh my god!" I hissed, jumping off the bed and moving to stand in front of him. "What the fuck happened?" I reached up to touch the spot under his right eye. It was swollen and a nasty purple color. It looked like it was weeks old but he definitely didn't have it earlier today. His jaw was also a little puffy and slightly pink. He flinched as my hand brushed on a sensitive spot.

"Who did this?" I asked sharply, sucking in a breath of air. He shrugged my hand away. "It's nothing, I'm fine. I heal quick anyways." He insisted. "Who hurt you?" I asked softly. He shook his head. "Why did they hurt you?" He sighed.

"It was a misunderstanding. They thought I did something that I didn't." He answered cautiously. "They hurt you." I whined. He shrugged and walked over to my bed, laying down on it, and opening the box of cinnamon toast crunch he had brought with him. I climbed over him to the other side of the bed and accepted the handful of the cereal that he gave me.

"_Please _tell me who hit you." I asked. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, it's over." He insisted. "It does matter, Jake, it really, _really, _does." I told him. "What if they hit you again?" I asked. He sighed and wrapped an arm around me, shoving more cereal into his mouth.

"It won't happen again. Promise." He insisted. I grabbed another handful of cereal. "You don't know that, Jake. What if it _does_ happens again?" I argued.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Ari?" He asked. I shook my head no. "Are you sure? Because I'm a good listener and I can keep a secret." He promised softly. I sighed and shook my head again.

"I just don't want anyone to hurt you."

* * *

><p>Jake stayed for a little while longer and just sat with me, talking. His eye and jaw looked much better by the time he left and I was starting to wonder if I had imagined it being worse than it really was.<p>

"Ari?" He asked just before getting ready to leave. "Think about going to see Embry tomorrow." He suggested. I sighed and pulled on the ends of my hair. "He shouldn't have done what he did but I kinda get why he did it. You should let him explain because he really, really likes you." I didn't answer. He seemed to get more frustrated by my silence. "Don't you get it, Ari? If you don't make a move than some vampire is going to come along and take him from you and then you won't have him at all." He continued. I gave him a confused look, I didn't really understand his analogy. "Tomorrow's Saturday so you have the whole day, just think about it." He kissed the top of my head before climbing out the window. I heard a tiny thud letting me know he had landed on the ground.

I collapsed back on my bed with a sigh. I didn't want to lose Embry or have him taken away by a vampire...whatever that meant. I really liked him, I knew that, I just needed to decide if it was a risk I was willing to take.

I'll worry about it tomorrow.

* * *

><p>I couldn't worry about it tomorrow. I couldn't just hope it would work out. That was probably why I was standing behind Embry's house at three in the morning, looking up at his window. I was just trying to decide how I was going to talk to him. I had called his phone three times but it had gone straight to voicemail, which meant it was off or dead. I couldn't go all Romeo on him and throw rocks at his window because his mom would wake up and I didn't need him hating me for getting him in trouble.<p>

I took a deep breath and jumped a few times so I could grab hold of the fire escape that was connected to the window in his room. The ladder had broken off at some point and now it was just a ledge with two metal rods that hung off it. I did my best to hoist myself up and after a few tries, managed to get onto the ledge. His window was open a tiny bit and I pushed it up all the way before climbing inside and then pulling it shut as quietly as I could. Embry was sprawled out across his big bed.

"Embry?" I whispered, walking over and kneeling down in front of the bed, near his head. "Wake up." I nudged his shoulder and he shifted slightly but stayed asleep. "Seriously Emb, I'm trying to profess my love for you here, the least you can do is be awake for it." I nudged him again with no response. "I just really like you and I don't want a vampire to come take you away from me...or at least thats what Jake said would happen." I pushed him a little harder and he shot up, startled.

"What the-Ari?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. I stood up and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck in an embrace. He was quick to wrap his arms around me as well, pulling me closer to him. "What are you doing here? Are you all right?" He asked quickly. I nodded my head in answer to his second question.

"I want you to be my boyfriend." I told him confidently. He was silent for what seemed like an eternity and I was worried that he had changed his mind about me. He pulled back and I thought he was going to tell me to leave but instead he planted his lips firmly on mine. I gasped in surprise which let his tongue enter my mouth. I moved closer, pushing him backwards so he was laying down and swung my right leg around him so I was straddling him.

"Embry." I gasped in between kisses. "I was trying to be romantic here." He moved to kiss down my neck. "You totally ruined it by mauling me like an animal." He chuckled and moved to press his lips against mine again.

"This is what you call romantic? I'm not even wearing pants." He whispered, laughing softly.

"Well, I can take off my pants if you'd like and then we can match?" I suggested cheekily. I didn't wait for his answer, I just pushed my lips back against his, running my fingers through his hair. I heard a quiet bang and jumped off of Embry like a bullet. He gave me an alarmed look and I sprinted to the closet and ducked in just in time as the door to Embry's room opened. I could hear Embry's deep breathing that could have easily been mistaking as light snoring...or like you had just had a make out session with someone... A frustrated sigh from the doorway and I held my breath until I heard the door shut. I slipped out silently and climbed on top of Embry, who was still pretending to be asleep. I chuckled softly and kissed his cheek. He cracked a smile and opened one of his eyes to look at me, before wrapping his arms around me.

"That was close." He whispered and I nodded my head before laying it down on his chest and yawning. He hummed softly in my hear and placed a kiss on my forehead. Within minutes, I was asleep.

* * *

><p>I was half aware of the warm fingers brushing against my back and sides. I hugged onto my personal pillow a little tighter and pressed my cold face against his warm chest. It vibrated slightly from laughter and I couldn't help but smile against it.<p>

"Morning." Embry's husky voice said softly. "Mhm." I answered against his chest, making him laugh again.

"Come on, get up, I'm _starving._" He insisted. _I'm comfortable._ "You mean you wouldn't rather cuddle with me _all _day?" I asked sleepily.

"It is a very tempting offer and I will gladly cuddle with you once I have been fed." He responded, kissing the top of my head. I groaned and rolled off of him, pulling at the sheet to curl back up and go to bed.

"Let me sleep, it's sooo early." I complained, clinging onto the sheets he was trying to pull away from me. "It's after ten, Honey, get up." He urged and I just knew he was smiling at me.

"Well, I was being all romantic at three in the morning and that takes extra energy so I can sleep as much as I want." I argued. He laughed.

"Okay, Ari, seriously, that is not being romantic. You broke into my house, made out with me, and almost got me in trouble with my mom." He said. I ignored him, hoping he would either join me back in bed to sleep or go away. "There's an NCIS marathon that started at ten…" He taunted. I opened one eye to look at him.

"Are you lying?" I asked. He shook his head no, grinning down at me and I reluctantly got up. He had pulled on a pair of sweatpants and I opted to just keep on the track-shorts and t-shirt I had put on before leaving my house. I went to the bathroom and used some of the mouthwash that was on the counter before following him down the stairs. He was already eating eggo-waffles and I snatched an apple out of his fruit bowl, munching on that.

"I was promised cop shows." I reminded him. He smiled and motioned towards the living room where the television was already on.

"Do you want anything else?" He asked. I shook my head. "Nah, I'm good."

* * *

><p>You know when you just know that something big is going to happen? You know that feeling you have when you know that something is going to change your life?<p>

I dropped the plate to the floor in surprise as the sharp pang went through my chest. I screeched in surprise.

"Wha-" Embry was cut off and I saw him clutch at his heart too. _Did he feel it as well?_

"Embry?" I panted out in. "Wha-what was that?" I clutched the counter as another pang rang through me. I was almost positive Embry felt it too. I stepped over the shattered glass of the plate and Embry pulled me close to his side.

"I'm not sure. I have to call Sam." He said. I could ear the slight tremor in his voice, letting me know that he was just as scared and freaked out as me. I didn't know why he had to call Sam but I didn't argue since I wasn't really sure what was going on.

"Emily?" Embry gasped. I could hear her voice on the other end but couldn't make out what she was saying, she sounded panicked. I let out a whimper as another pang shot through me and Embry sucked in a breath. The pang didn't hurt as much now that I was standing with Embry but it still hurt. "What do you mean they...they...you're serious?" He stopped talking for a couple seconds as Emily talked. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Jake probably wont _kill _him." He reasoned. A wail came from the other end of the phone and I flinched, partly because of the pain and partly because of the panic sound of Emily's voice. _What's wrong?_ "Shit. Sorry. That was the wrong thing to say, he's not going to die. Jake won't kill him." I slumped even more against him. "Emily? Can you feel that?" He asked as he stared down at me. Whatever she said, made his eyebrows go together. "I've got to go. They'll be fine." He hung up without her answering.

"You can feel that?" He asked softly and I nodded my head. "What's going on Embry? I'm scared." He wrapped his arms around me. "I-It's okay." He stuttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Jacob's Point of View.<strong>

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I can't believe I just did that.

Sam patted me on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, it was bound to happen at some point." He insisted. I nodded my head.

"I'm-"

"Don't apologize." He warned. I nodded my head again. The back door slammed open and Emily cam running out, almost in tears, Paul right behind her, rubbing his heart. Emily, of course, flung herself at Sam and he caught her, telling her he was fine.

"What the fuck just happened?" Paul asked. "I ran a double shift last night and whatever stunt you guys just pulled woke me up." I gave him a strange look. "Did you not feel it? It figure Sam was just messing with the pack bonds or something but...oh shit...you totally bumped Sam." He stated. A wicked grin came on his face. "I was wondering when that was going to happen." I groaned, covering my face.

I hadn't meant to, honestly. I just didn't want to talk to him about what happened with Ariana and Embry today. I didn't, _couldn't, _tell him about Ari. My refusal had caused me to step up to power. I had just bumped Sam. I was alpha. Oh, fuck.

"Man, that _really _hurt though. It felt like someone was electrocuting my heart or something. Must of just been the pack bonds switching over to you. It hurt like a mother-"

"Oh shit. I've got to go." I sprinted off towards the woods, taking my shorts off and phasing in one fluid motion. Relief washed through me as I realized that no one else was in my mind. Brady and Seth had left patrol when Sam and I phased but the most important thing I was relieved about was that Ari wasn't in my head. If the pack members felt the pain then Ariana probably did too...she was ranked higher than half of them. I ran towards the Corsini household and made it there in record time, pulling my shorts on as I ran towards the house. I opened the backdoor.

"Where is she?" I barked. Collin's mouth dropped open, letting a few of the chips he had been eating fall out. He got over his tongue's momentarily paralyses and stumbled around his words for a second.

"I'm...I'm not sure." He admitted. I growled. "What do you mean _I'm not sure?" _I asked, trying to control my temper. He dipped his head a little and I'm sure that if he was a wolf, his ears would be flattened.

"I heard her leave the house around 3:30 this morning and she hasn't come back." He said softly. "You didn't think to maybe follow her? Or at least ask where she was going." I asked in a tight voice, clenching my teeth. _Who let's their sister walk out of the house at three in the morning and not think anything of it when she doesn't come home by noon the next day?_

Apparently Collin.

He dipped his head even lower.

"I was hopping she went to see Embry…" He trailed off. My face softened and I sighed before pinching the bridge of my nose. "Can I use your phone?" I asked. He quickly scrambled to get me his cell phone and I scrolled through his contacts before clicking Ariana's number. It rang a few times and I was worried that she wasn't going to pick up.

"Hello?" A voice answered. It wasn't Ari but I was relieved that I recognized the voice. "Thank God, Embry." I sighed gratefully.

"Um...Jake? I need you to come over here. Now." He said quietly. I sighed. "I'll be right there." I hung up and handed Collin's phone back to him.

"She's okay?" He asked hopefully. I nodded my head, not saying anything. "I've got to go but I'll...um...talk to you later." I started towards the front door.

"Jake?" He asked, once I was half way out the door. I turned to look back at him. "Are you our alpha now?" I sighed and nodded my head. "Cool."

* * *

><p><strong>Embry's Point of View.<strong>

"Ari, Honey, you're okay." I whispered, leading her over to the couch and sitting her down before crouching in front of her and laying my hands on top of hers. Her eyes were wide and animalistic, not really focusing on anything, and her head whipping around from side to side. The worst part was she was shaking, not just shaking like when _humans_ are cold or a little scared, she was full on shaking like she was...a wolf.

"Ariana? Can you look at me please?" I asked as calmly as possible. Her head stopped moving at the sound of my voice and she focused on my face. "Good girl. Can you calm down for me?" I asked in the most non-threatening voice possible. She didn't respond, just keeping her eyes locked on mine. I slowly reached my left had up to cup the side of her face. At my touch he eyes fluttered shut and her shaking moved to only a slight tremble. Jake opened the front door and I flinched in surprise but Ari stayed still before collapsing forward. I caught her, wrapping my arms around her. Shit, shit, shit. _What had I done to her?_

"Jake?" I said in panic. He looked relieved which I didn't understand. _Was there anything about this to look relieved about?_ "She was shaking and, and...she looked like she was going to wolf out on me and now she just collapsed, what if-" He interrupted me.

"She's okay." He insisted. "It just makes her a little tired." He came over to kneel next to me and pressed two of his fingers against Ari's pulse, even though I knew he could hear her heartbeat perfectly clear. It had slowed down from it's fast pace and was now a calm, normal rate, much to my relief.

"This is what I wanted to talk to you about yesterday before you punched me in the face." I gave him my best ashamed look and a small smile but he just rolled his eyes and continued. "Yesterday, she started shaking and when you saw us in the hallway, it was me calming her down. She practically collapsed after I calmed her down but I checked on her last night and she was perfectly normal again." He explained. I nodded my head and pulled her into my arms tighter, standing up before turning around and sitting on the couch, keeping her close. Jake flopped down next to me.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I asked, looking down at her. She was going to be a werewolf, I had to admit that she would make a pretty kick-ass wolf but would she really want to be one? Probably not.

"I thought maybe I could prevent her from phasing if I just made sure she didn't get scared or too angry…" He trailed off and I sighed. "Jake, I don't think you can prevent something like this." He crossed his arms and huffed like a child, not answering. He probably knew I was right.

"Wait." I suddenly realized. "You didn't kill Sam, right? 'Cuz I told Emily you wouldn't." I asked worriedly. He chuckled. "Nah, I didn't kill him. We just had a..._disagreement_ about something. Long story short, I'm kinda alpha now…" He trailed off uneasily. I smirked. _So that's what that was… _

"So, if you're alpha now, then does that mean I can't beat you up again?" I asked, making sure to put some humor in my voice. He scoffed. "You _so _didn't beat me up! I beat _you _up!" He insisted. I smirked and didn't say anything. "You might not want to say that in front of Ari though...she kinda freaked out last night, wanting to know who gave me the bruises." My smile disappeared. "I didn't tell her it was you but you still might not want to mention our little..._scuffle." _I sighed and held Ariana's tiny body a little closer to me.

"Sorry about that. I just panicked and I was jealous because she was talking to you and not me...and you know that Graham has been telling everyone you guys are dating. I'm really sorry." I told him. He shrugged. "Don't worry about it, she's your imprint, you're naturally protective. But speaking of Ariana...why is she here?" He asked, curiously.

"Honestly? I'm not really sure. She showed up in my room at four in the morning and almost got me in trouble with my mom. I'm also pretty sure she asked me to be her boyfriend… I could be wrong about the last part though." I admitted. He laughed loudly and I held a finger up to my lips to remind him that Ari was sleeping.

"I'm taking full credit for having her come see you." He declared and I rolled my eyes because, let's face it, Ariana never does anything that anyone suggests so why would she listen to Jake? She moved a little in my arms and snuggled closer to me.

"I'm going to go put her upstairs so she can sleep." I told him, cradling her close and standing up to head up to my room. Jacob stood up too.

"That's probably a good idea, I've got to go deal with some stuff but when you hear the howls for a pack meeting, you can ignore them. Stay here with her and make sure you're with her when she wakes up because she'll probably want you." He started towards the door, giving a little wave.

"Have fun, alpha." I taunted and he stuck his tongue out at me giving me much faith in the leader of our tribe.

_Oh boy._

* * *

><p><strong>I know I got mixed reviews for last chapter. Some people were all for the wolf thing and others were...not very happy. Some of you kept your opinions to yourself so I'm not really sure what the number is on who likes it verses who doesn't. I just want to put it out there that I had been planning having this happen since before Ariana even had a name. I knew I wanted this to happen when I decided I wanted to write an Embry story, it wasn't just something that happened randomly or because I couldn't think of what to do next. I hope you guys do like where I am going with this...remember to review!<strong>

**XX Cassy**


	16. Freaky&Fine

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the alerts, favs, and reviews! They mean so much. This chapter is set up differently from previous chapters so let me know if you like it like this or you like regular writing better, I just thought I'd try something different! **

**Also, incase you were wondering, Jake did become alpha during last chapter...hope it wasn't _too _confusing for you.(:**

* * *

><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View.<strong>

**Present day - November 6.**

I dialed his cellphone again willing him to pickup.

"Whoever this is better have a pretty fucking important reason to call me when I'm trying to sleep." A gruff and upset voice finally answered.

"Jake?" I whispered softly. "I think I did something really stupid…" I was trying to keep my tears in as I was talking to him. I didn't cry, I never cried...there was just something about La Push that always made me want to cry my eyes out.

"Ari? What's wrong? What did you do?" He asked in a much more awake, panicked voice.

"I think I...oh god...will you just please come over?" I asked.

"I'll be right there."

* * *

><p><strong>Embry's Point of View.<strong>

**Seven days earlier - October 30.**

"I don't _do _the whole _talking thing._" She informed me in that lazy, carefree voice she always used when she was trying too hard. I stared at her for a couple seconds in confusion.

"What do you mean _the whole talking thing_?" I asked, not impressed with her answer. "You mean the _you had a panic attack then collapsed _thing?"

_'Had a panic attack then collapsed thing.'_

That was one thing to call what had happened yesterday. To be honest, I still wasn't one-hundred percent sure what had happened. I had talked to Jake briefly yesterday afternoon after he had his meeting with The Elders. He told me that he hadn't mentioned anything about Ariana to them which I was grateful for. We had decided that it might be a good idea to tell her about the wolves, explain what we are and tell her that there is a good chance she might become one. On the other side of that, if we tell her she might get scared and phase. Jake had left it up to me to decide. _No pressure or anything._

Jacob had explained his theory to me about how he thought the phasing in females was triggered by fear. I honestly didn't know how we were going to stop her from phasing but keeping her safe was probably a good way to start. It would be much easier now that we were dating.

Yup.

_That's right._

Ari is my girlfriend and I am her boyfriend.

After her 'extended nap' yesterday, she had woken up and cuddled with me on the couch for a little while, watching NCIS. Ever since she had woken up that morning, before the possible werewolf mess, I had wanted to know for sure what we were. If she could sneak into my room and make out with me in the middle of the night, then I could come right out and ask her. So I did ask. She kinda just stared blankly for a minute. I was worried I had said the wrong thing but finally she just said.

"I thought I made that pretty clear last night."

I attacked her with kisses after that because thats what boyfriends did...right? They made out with their girlfriends and told them how beautiful they are. That went on for a while until she had gotten a call from her mother asking where she was. She had quickly told her mom that she had gotten up early to head to the gym in Port Angeles then stopped by my house on the way back.

I would say it was a pretty awesome day, you know, except for the _'had a panic attack then collapsed thing'._

Which brings us back to the point at hand.

"You really don't want to talk about it and...I don't know...figure out why it happened?" I probed. She shrugged and went back to playing with my fingers absentmindedly while watching a video for history class on her computer. I sighed and pulled my hand away from hers, crossing my arms. A frustrated expression crossed her face and her hand twitched towards me slightly, but she stopped herself, focusing on the movie and refusing to be the first one to make a move or give in.

"It was a freak accident, Emb. No big deal. I probably had too low of blood sugar and I was tired, whatever, it doesn't matter." She said flatly. I sighed again and gave in, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her across the couch and into my side.

"Fine, fine." I mumbled. "You don't want to talk about it, I get it, but if you change your mind, you'll talk to me. Right?" She nodded her head and took my hand back in hers, tracing patterns on my palm and continuing with her homework. After a little while I pulled my hand back and leaned down to kiss her forehead before standing up.

"I have a work meeting but I will see you tomorrow morning." I told her. She looked a tad disappointed so I leaned down and cupped her cheeks in my hands, kissing her on the lips. She reached her hands up to my face to keep me there and I chuckled before pulling back. "As much as I would like to continue _that _and see where it goes, Jake will kill me if I'm late." I told her apologetically. She let out an annoyed huff but winked at me and leaned up, pecking my lips once more before going back to her work.

"Bye Embry. Tell Jake I said congrats on the promotion."

Promotion. Ha. _If only she knew… _

* * *

><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View.<strong>

**Six days earlier - October 31.**

"What are your plans for tonight?" My mom asked. I took another bite of my cheerios. "I'm going to a party." I told her. She nodded her head.

"It's a school night. Are you coming home?" She asked. _Good question. _"Um...not sure. I might stay over Kim's if it goes late." She nodded her head again. I think she knew I was lying but she either didn't care or didn't want to fight with me. Whatever the reason, I was glad she stayed quiet.

"Hey Sis!" Collin chirped walking by me and ruffling my hair. I opened my mouth in surprise, letting cereal fall out. "You didn't just do that! I am freaking older than you!" I growled, reaching up to smooth down my hair. He laughed, grabbing the bread from the counter and putting four pieces in the toaster. Our mom sent us each a glare as she used the reflection of the coffee maker to put her lipstick on.

"I'm late. I'll see you guys tonight." She said, grabbing her bag and heading out the door for work. I listened to her car start up and pull away. I dropped my spoon into my unfinished cereal and went out the front door. By the time Collin realized what I was doing I had already locked the car and was pulling out of the driveway. He sprinted out of the house.

"Aria!" He called, throwing his hands in the air. "What the hell?" He yelled as I turned onto our road. I smiled and sent him a friendly wave before speeding off towards the school. After all, I had a _boyfriend _to see.

* * *

><p>Jake was <em>different. <em>Um, I guess that was the word for it? He looked the same and gave me the same smile he always does, but at the same time, he was different. He had more authority and walked with more power than usual. He just seemed so in charge.

"Hey, Jake?" I asked, part way through our English work. "Where do you actually work? I mean...what do you guys do?" I continued doodling on my notebook trying to hide just how curious I really was. They never discussed work around me.

"Do you really want to know?" Jake asked. I opened my mouth to say duh but stopped and looked up at him. He was staring at me with the most serious expression I had ever seen on his face. My reply got stuck in my throat and I found myself shaking my head no. He nodded his head thoughtfully and went back to his work. I stayed frozen for a couple minutes.

"What did you get for number eleven?" He asked, breaking me out of my reverie. I turned back to my paper.

"Jake." I said evenly. "That's the easiest question on the entire sheet. The author's name is on the front of the book and the top of the worksheet." He smirked.

"Oh."

* * *

><p>"Are you an Abercrombie and Fitch model or a male-hooker?" I asked as Embry got in the passenger seat of my car. He laughed and leaned over, kissing my cheek. "I haven't decided yet, which do you prefer?" He questioned.<p>

"Hooker, definitely." I said, winking at him. "Well, Minnie Mouse, hooker it is." He teased, referencing my Minnie Mouse outfit I was wearing.

"Ugh! Guys, will you just shut up! It's gross!" Collin complained from the back seat. Embry rolled his eyes.

"Well, then maybe you shouldn't be going to a high school party. You do know what happens at parties like this, right?" I asked, glancing towards the backseat. He crossed his arms over his green and yellow sweatshirt and let out a huff. Seth, Brady, and he were dressed up as three of the four teenage mutant ninja turtles. I told them they needed four but they didn't listen. They thought they would look cool no matter what.

"Are you going to drink, Colly? Are you going to _kiss _a _girl_?" I teased. He stuck his tongue out at me. I pulled up to Graham's house, parking along the side of the street like most of the other teenagers from La Push and Forks. Collin, Embry, and I got out of the car and started heading towards the house. I got ahead of Embry and caught up to Collin.

"Hey, wait." I called, slowing to a normal pace once I reached him. "You'll cover for me if I don't come home tonight, right?" I asked in a low voice. He sighed.

"Don't I always?" He answered softly.

"Yup, which is why I love you!" I sang. I walked back over to Embry. "Bye Leonardo!" I called over my shoulder as he headed inside.

"So Ari." Embry started. "How drunk are you planning on getting tonight...just so I'm prepared." I spun around, heading back towards the house.

"Depends...if I get really drunk, do I get to sleepover your house again?" I asked. He smirked. "I don't know...what do I get out of it besides a drunk girlfriend?" He wondered. I shrugged.

"I guess we'll just have to see how drunk I am…"

* * *

><p><strong>Five days earlier - November 1.<strong>

"Embry." I groaned. "I'm _so _hungover." He sucked in a breath and removed his hand from my waist. I opened my eyes a little to see that Embry had placed his hand over his faced. Embry had drank a lot. I didn't even know one person could drink that much. Not that I'm one to judge, a lot of last night was a blur but I know I had fun and I know I spent the entire night dancing and making out with Embry.

"We have school." He murmured.

"Please don't make me go." I hissed softly. He rolled us over and draped one of his arms over me, resting his head on my chest. I reached my left hand up and rested it in his hair. He mumbled something unintelligible and I took that as an _'okay, we can go back to bed'_.

So I did.

* * *

><p><strong>Four days earlier - November 2.<strong>

"_So_, I think I deserve credit for you and Embry being together." Kim told me confidently as we took notes in chemistry. I snorted. _"Really?" _I asked. She glanced up at me in confusion.

"Of course." She answered. I rolled my eyes and pressed down on my pencil a little harder than necessary.

"It's not that big of a deal." I whispered back. "It is!" She said a little louder than necessarily. Our teacher sent a glare at us but didn't say anything so we went back to talking.

"You guys are _really_ cute together." She gushed, leaning closer to me. I scrunched my nose up.

"I don't _do_ cute." I muttered back. "_I'm _not cute." She chuckled softly.

"_Surrree."_

* * *

><p><strong>Three days earlier - November 3.<strong>

"Hey, how are you." Jake asked, pealing the orange he was holding over the trashcan in the center of the cafeteria.

"I'm fine." I answered automatically. He snorted.

"Don't lie to me because it kinda makes me hate you." He said truthfully. I glared at him but he pretended not to notice. "I've been going easy on you the past few days because of various reasons but you've got to try harder. I know you've improved a little but I don't think you're anywhere near healthy."

"I am perfectly healthy." I scoffed, crossing my arms across my chest. He gave me a look that could only mean one thing: _Seriously?_ I bit my tongue to keep from saying something that would get me in trouble and that I would probably end up regretting.

"Are you going to tell Embry?" He asked.

"Are _you _going to tell Embry?" I countered. We had a bit of a staring match and finally he mumbled out a _no_.

Jake was scary. He was big and strong and everyone listened to him but I wasn't frightened by him..._okay_, I wasn't _that _frightened by him. I knew I should be but I couldn't help it, for some reason I just felt the need to always challenge him and above all, trust him. I didn't give trust away easily but I trusted Jake and he had never given me a reason to think I couldn't.

"You're coming over tonight?" I asked hopefully, changing the subject. "I bought lucky charms." We had taken to having Tuesday and Thursday nights be Jake and Ari nights. We hung out in my room, ate cereal, and watched movies or talked. He sighed.

"Yeah, of course." He mumbled before smiling proudly at the orange he had finally managed to finished pealing. "Good." I answered before knocking the fruit into the trashcan even though he hadn't even had a bite yet. He stared up at me in shock and I gave him my best real smile.

He had asked me earlier how I was and now I could truly say I was great.

I was great and Jake now had a dirty orange.

"Bye Jakey-Poo!" I called as I walked away, blowing him a kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Two days earlier - November 4.<strong>

"I don't know why we are going to this. Our school sucks." I declared as I climbed over Collin to get to the backseat of Kim's family SUV. I made sure to shove my hand in Collin's face and pull on Jared's hair as I did so. Collin shoved my hand out of his face but otherwise ignored me. Jared? Not so much.

"Ow!" Jared growled.

"Oops." I commented innocently before falling into the seat next to Embry.

"Did we have to bring her?" Jared whined. "Did we have to bring_ him_?" I mocked in my best whinny-Jared voice and pulled on a piece of his short hair. I kicked the back of his seat in the process and grinned to myself while he shot me a dirty look and I stuck my tongue out at him. Leah climbed over the guys much more gracefully than me and took the seat next to me. I don't know why we didn't just have the people sitting in the back of the car get in first, it would be so much easier, but this was way more fun.

"I swear if you guys get freaky back here, I will kill you." Leah said menacingly, the last part directed at me.

"Oh, _honey, _if we get _freaky_, I _promise _you can join in." I stated, tapping her leg affectionally. Her mouth dropped for a moment in surprise and she stared at me. She eventually just shrugged, nodded her head and faced front again. Embry was blushing but I just kissed his cheek and focused back on the commotion going on in the car. Everyone was still trying to cram in and it was very amusing to watch. Good thing there were only eight of us going or else someone would be in the trunk.

I would have volunteered Jared incase you're wondering.

Brady and Quil had opted out of coming with us because they had to _work_, whatever that meant but the rest of us high schoolers, and Leah, were doing our best to get in the car so we could leave.

"Oops, sorry." Jake mumbled as he kicked Collin, getting into the middle row of the car. Collin looked very uncomfortable squished between Jared and Jacob which made me laugh and pull on Jared's hair again.

"Why am I here...I graduated high school already." Leah muttered.

"Seriously! Will you quit it, Ariana!" Jared yelled before leaning forward in his seat to talk to Kim. "Kim, honey, please, why can't I sit up front with you. I won't be distracting, promise." He pleaded. I laughed loud along with Leah. Kim was absolutely panicked right now. She had only gotten her license a couple weeks ago and was terrified to drive. She was also the only one with a car big enough to hold all of us.

"Because you can't! Because I'll crash and I'll kill all of us! And then I'll have to go to your funeral and it will be sad and I will cry! Paul has to sit up here because I'm pretty sure he hates me so that means he won't distract me! Don't you understand Jared, this is life or death!" She screeched. It was silent in the car for the moment.

"Why do you think that I would die and you wouldn't, is there something you want to tell me, Kimmy?" Jared asked suspiciously. The packed car burst into another round of loud laughs and conversations. I also may or may not have pulled some more hair.

We spent the next two hours being obnoxiously loud and teasing each other. Paul only had to grab the steering wheel twice and Embry, Leah, and I didn't get _freaky_ incase you were wondering…

We finally arrived at our destination of Hoquiam High School. Forks and La Push had a combined football team and tonight was their first game of the year. Our school had made peppy announcements all week urging the students to make the drive to Hoquiam to support our team. It was one of the only sports that La Push had and someone had decided that we should drive up and show school spirit.

It was probably Kim.

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><p>I giggled as he leaned down to kiss me again, pressing me against one of the metal bars of the bleachers. It was loud in the stadium but Embry didn't seem to mind, I didn't either, he was a great kisser. Surprisingly, there was a good number of Forks and La Push students at the game. It wasn't a preferable place to spend my Friday night but it was definitely preferable to spend my Friday night in Embry's arms. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him, kissing him deeply.<p>

A loud crack of thunder made me pull back in surprise. He was grinning widely at me and nuzzled his nose with mine. I licked his bottom lip and tugged it between my teeth. More thunder sounded and I could feel rain starting to pour down but I was used to rain. After all, Hoquiam isn't that that far from La Push and Forks. I could hear some people yelling and girls squealing from the rain but I kept my lips planted firmly on Embry's.

"Embry! Ari!" Kim yelled from somewhere behind Embry. We broke apart and I sent a weak glare in Kim's direction. Didn't she know I was trying to get freaky with Embry right now? "Time to go, they won and it's raining." I sighed in frustration and Embry let me slide down from him to the ground. Kim sent me an overly perkily smile and I stuck my tongue out at her, letting Embry pull me through the crowds of people who were rushing around to get to their cars because of the heavy rain. I didn't mind the rain so I just laughed and spun under Embry's arm while Kim whined and cowered into Jared, trying to get as least wet as possible.

I hummed to tune of the music still playing over the loud speakers and Embry pulled me close to his side as we met up with the others to make the long drive home.

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><p>"Everyone is <em>soaked<em>!" Kim complained as we again attempted to get everyone into the car. "My parents are going to kill me for getting the seats wet!" Jared was doing his best to calm his girlfriend.

"Hey, I know how to fix this." I heard him tell her, she looked up at him hopefully. "I'll sit in the front."

_"JAREDD!" _She screeched, apparently not amused. Jake and I went back to singing and dancing in the rain, jumping in the puddles that were quickly forming. Collin seemed utterly embarrassed watching me but Embry just looked amused. Leah sat perched on top of the car, watching the commotion from a birds-eye-view and Paul stood next to the passenger door with his arms crossed.

"I'm _so _hungry!" Collin complained and Leah kicked him in the head from her perch above him. "Ow." He grumbled.

"So Paul." I started, walking over to him after Jake had gotten bored with puddle jumping and started talking to a couple of girls in Hoquiam T-shirts. Collin quickly ran over to Jake's side.

"So Ariana." He answered, giving me a wiry smile, but other than that, not moving.

"_Please, _call me Ari." I insisted. That got him to move, he swung his head towards me, smiling wider now.

"So what suddenly makes us friends?" He asked with mild curiosity. I shrugged. We weren't really friends, but we weren't really _not _friends. We were acquaintances but I would probably go to his funeral if he died and that counted for something, right?

"Well, I have been lowering my standards lately. Congrats." I answered, smirking at him. "You're not going to go hit on the Hoquiam Barbies?" I wondered and he just shrugged. I watched as one of the girls flipped her rain-soaked hair and batted her eyelashes at Collin.

"Hey! Blondie!" I called. A couple girls looked over at me but I got the girls attention. "He's only a freshmen!" She got a horrified look on her face and Collin sent me a glare. Paul just burst into laughter.

"I don't think you've lowered your standards, Ari, I think you actually like us." Paul observed.

"That would be crazy." I mused.

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View.<strong>

**One day earlier - November 5**

"So...the homecoming dance is next week...you'll go with me?" I asked. We were seated at Emily and Sam's house the next day in their living room. She glanced up at me and scrunched her nose up.

"Um, no." She answered. I must have looked devastated because her expression softened. Jared let out a loud laugh from the kitchen.

"She's your girlfriend and you can't even get her to go on a date with you. Good job, Emb!" He called. I scowled in his general direction but other than that we both ignored his remark.

"Are you being serious?" I mumbled. I thought we had been making serious improvement. I really thought she was into me.

"I'm not really the _go to dances_ type." She answered back playing with the hem of her shirt. "When I do go I usually just take everyone else's dates." We were quiet for a little bit and finally she just sighed and grabbed my hand.

"Is it really a big deal to you?" She asked softly. It wasn't a big deal to go to the dance, I loved being with her and I would be fine watching cop shows with her instead of going to the dance. I just wanted people to know that she was mine and I was hers. I wanted people to see us together because I wanted to show her off, didn't she understand that? I didn't answer her. She sighed quietly and sat up a little straighter.

"Embry? Will you be my date for homecoming?" She asked, glancing to the side at me. I gave her a small smile and nodded my head.

"As long as you don't try and steal someone else's date." I said softly. She smirked and leaned over, kissing my cheek.

"Do I have to wear a dress?" She questioned, looking a little repulsed by the idea.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to." I answered. She nodded her head and went back to watching the television.

"You're lucky I like you."

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View.<strong>

**Present day - November 6.**

"What's wrong? What happened?" He asked. I flung myself into his arms. "Hey...hey...Ariana, I'm sure whatever it was isn't that bad...I can fix it...it's fine…just tell me what happened."

"I think I might have fallen in love with Embry." I sobbed out. He froze.

"You're fucking kidding me, right? I worked a double shift last night and I'm _exhausted, _you woke me up just to cry about _loving _your boyfriend. You are bat-shit crazy, Ariana!" He complained, sounding not nearly as caring as earlier.

I know that it may seem that I am over reacting, but I have never loved someone who had the possibility of loving me back. I haven't felt feelings like this in a while. It was scary.

I think I had a perfectly natural reaction.

"Ari, why did you actually call me?" He sighed. I shook my head and let him hug me a little closer.

"I don't want to love him." I whined.

"Why?" He asked, lifting me up and carrying my over to my bed, sitting down and holding me in his arms.

"Because he'll hurt me, I know it, and he'll hate me, and I'm broken. I'm so broken and he won't like broken." I whimpered. He rubbed my back and let me cry into his chest. My phone went off from the nightstand table and Jacob reached over, picking it up.

"**_You will not come over, you will not come within hearing distance, and you will make sure no one else does either._**" Jake ordered the person on the phone as soon as he picked up. I guessed it was Embry. I could hear screaming from the other end showing their obvious disagreement. "She's fine." He said in a much calmer voice. Then he hung up.

"Theres nothing wrong with loving someone, Ari." He said after a little while. "And I don't think he would ever hurt you, especially on purpose. He's not Alex." It was the first time that Jake had come right out and mentioned _his _name. It was the first time anyone had brought up my ex.

"You don't get it Jake." I started to say but he interrupted me. "Then explain it to me, help me understand, because I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." I didn't even know what to say to him. I didn't even know what to tell him.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

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><p><strong>I know these take a while to get out, but this one was nice and long for you guys as a consolation. I am sick right now so a review would really make me feel better, especially since my reviews dropped way down last chapter.<strong>

**Lots of love and thanks for reading! XX Cassy **


	17. Truth&Friendships

**Hello! More Jake and Ari in this chapter because I love their friendship but also some Embry! Hope you guys enjoy and remember to review!**

**I have set up a tumblr for my FanFiction pictures. The link is on my profile and you need the password _NataliaKills _to open it. It has all the clothes pictures, summaries of my stories, and pictures of the people I imagine playing these characters. I will also be putting up some teasers and It has a little bit of information on the next two stories I will be starting when _Wonderland _and _Mirrors _are over. _Wonderland _wont be ending for a little while but _Mirrors _will be coming to a close shortly and a Seth/OC story will be following.**

**I also will advertise any of your twilight stories on the site and there is information on the tumblr about that.**

**One more thing: I changed my name from _CassyKinz_ to _Cassy-Kay._ (Kay is my middle name incase anyone's wondering). Won't change it again, pinky promise!**

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><p><em>Previously in Mirrors.<em>

_"You don't get it Jake." I started to say but he interrupted me. "Then explain it to me, help me understand, because I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." I didn't even know what to say to him. I didn't even know what to tell him._

_"Why don't you start at the beginning?" _

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><p>"Jake." I whispered softly, moving to push away from him. He held me tighter and I attempted to push away again. "Jake!" I said in a stronger voice, beginning to panic. He had me trapped and I did not like being trapped. I could feel my heart rate increase and maybe he could too because he let me go.<p>

"Why does that happen, Ari?" He asked. I stared at him for a long minute and for one of the first times with Jake, I dropped my eyes.

"You know." I answered coldly. He knew, they _all _knew. Why would he make me relive it by telling him again?

"No Ari, I actually fucking don't. Tell me." His voice was soft but still had that slight underlining order to it.

"Jake." I snapped. "There is nothing to say." I pushed farther away from him to the edge of my bed so I could get up. "He hurt me, I was his punching bag. I was a bad girlfriend and I got punished for it. He hated me for it and made sure I knew that. There is nothing to say." Jake caught be around the waist and I didn't have the energy to fight him as he pulled me back to his side.

"You're _not _a bad girlfriend because Embry adores the hell out of you." He insisted lowly. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Aren't you wondering how long that will last?" I asked, turning in his arms to face him. I was genuinely curious and I think the only reason he didn't get mad at that comment was because he knew that I wasn't saying it to be mean.

"No." He told me truthfully. "I'm not worried about that all." I was quiet for a little while.

"You know, Embry told me he likes my hair curly but someone told me it looked horrible that way. It's hard to decided what's true and what's not when you have people putting things in your head. They get blended together and you don't know how you should act and who you should be." I responded dryly. He nodded his head slowly.

"How about you just be Ari. Be my new best friend, be Collin's sister, and be Embry's girlfriend. Just be Ari." He suggested.

Be Ari. Be Ariana Corsini. It sounded so tempting yet so hard. How was I supposed to just be myself when I didn't even know who I was?

"Jake, I don't think I can be all those things at once. It's just too hard and I'm not even sure how to." I admitted. He seemed deep in thought for a couple minutes.

"You want to hear about the Quileute people, Ariana?" He asked. "They were..._are_ very brave people. Want to hear the stories?" _Stories? Like a bed time story?_ I liked stories...they were entertaining and I bet Jacob is a very good story teller. I nodded my head. "I'll tell you about them in exchange for bits of information about you in between."

He was a good negotiator.

"Okay…" I trailed off slowly. Somehow I knew he would get information out of me anyway. I might as well get something out of it.

"There was once a great thunderbird and…"

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><p>"God, Ariana! You're such a screw up! Why can't you do anything right?" Alex screamed at me. I bowed my head slowly. I hadn't meant to do anything wrong. He knew that, right? Part of me knew that he didn't, but the other, smaller part thought that there was a chance he did. It really hadn't been my fault though, he had shoved me. He was the one who had made me drop his can of soda. It really wasn't my fault.<p>

"I'm sorry." I muttered, knowing it wouldn't help. He shoved me again and stalked into the kitchen to get his own drink. He walked back past me, sending me another glare. As soon as he was back in the living room, I retrieved a towel from his kitchen and started to clean up the mess I had made.

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View.<strong>

I forced myself to put my cell phone down. I couldn't break it, my mom would kill me. All I wanted to do was crush something or punch an alpha...probably more the second than the first.

What did he mean I couldn't see my girlfriend? What did he mean I couldn't see my_ imprint_? I don't care what type of weird, cereal-eating-related relationship they have going on, she was my imprint and she was hurting.

I had been just about to leave for patrol when the pure panic went through me. The thing was, I wasn't feeling panicked, Ariana was. A surge of adrenalin, a burst of fear, and finally...the panic. I could feel her emotions perfectly and it scared me. Our imprint bond had never been this open before. Was she phasing?

That was the only thought that went through my mind as I started running towards her house, on foot. I dialed her number and the phone was answered on the first ring. Normally this would have been a relief but Jake was the one who answered. Jake answering Ari's phone was never a good thing. Then he had the nerve to order me away from her house and to make sure no one else went near them. If he wasn't my alpha, I would kill him.

_Probably…_

Okay, I wouldn't have because Ari would be devastated and then I'd feel bad. I left the phone sitting on a rock and removed my sweatpants before feeling a familiar ripple move through my body.

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View.<strong>

"You really can't let people tell you untrue things about yourself."

"Gee, thanks Jake. Can't you just leave me alone?" I asked. Even as I said it, I moved closer to him. He chuckled.

"Aw, you don't mean that Honey."

"I want Embry." I found myself saying and Jake sighed. I realized this probably came as a little bit of an insult to him since he had been so nice to me for the past hour or so, just holding me and talking. "No offense." I quickly added making him quirk a small smile.

"None taken." He insisted. "I get it, I'm just not Embry." I shrugged but couldn't help smiling a little at him.

"I like him." I reasoned and he snorted.

"You _love _him." He teased and a feral growl escaped my mouth without me realizing it. My eyes widened but Jake burst out into laughter muttering to himself about 'never underestimating a paw-print'.

Okay, Jacob, whatever you say.

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View.<strong>

_Ari. Ari. Ari._

That was all that had been going through my head.

Jake was like a brother to me, there was even a possibility that he was actually my brother. I trusted his judgement and I trusted him as a person, but lately, I just wanted to punch him in the face.

Right now, he was with _my _imprint and _my _girlfriend. He was in her room, probably cuddled up with her on her bed, and because of this, I wanted to punch him in the face. Hard.

But he was still a great person...like I said, he's my brother.

But dammit, I kinda hate him right now, even if I know nothing is going on.

_Oh quit your whining, Embry. _Leah complained. _We all know they are totally getting freaky right now, as she would put it. Face it, you're second best to the great alpha. _She snickered seeming pleased by her comment but I just ignored her. It wasn't true. Jake and Ariana weren't sleeping together, I would know if they were. They would both smell like it and they wouldn't be able to hide a scent like that.

Paul snapped his teeth in Leah's direction and I thanked him quietly.

_Hey now! Is that anyway to treat the pack's only she-wolf? _She asked.

_Only… _

Stop.

I blocked my thoughts before anyone could tell what I was about to think. Leah was our only she-wolf. Only she-wolf.

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View.<strong>

"Jake." I pleaded. "Can I please just go to bed?" I felt like a child who was just being scolded over, and over again. I didn't even do anything wrong, no one did anything wrong.

"No." He grumbled. "Not until you are better." I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Do you really think that is going to happen in one night?" I asked, glancing up at him. He sighed and ignored me for a couple minutes. I knew my interrogation wasn't over yet though. He glanced down at me, shooting me a pitiful look. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I wish I could tell you what you want to hear but I honestly don't know what you want me to say." I admitted.

"Just tell me the truth." He whispered softly. That sent me over the edge. I don't even know why but I had the sudden urge to scream and yell and fight him on anything he had ever said to me. I pushed away from him and sat up straighter, glaring him down.

"He beat me? Okay? Is that what you want to hear? I said the wrong thing or I did something bad or I wasn't pretty enough for him so he hit me. I had bruises and cuts and he broke my heart. There was nothing I could do about it and he was so smart. So, _so fucking_ smart. He knew how to not get caught, he knew how to fool everyone, he knew how long it would take for old bruises to heal, he knew what hurt the most.

"I started eating less and sometimes I made myself throw up and that is all. Because in doing that, I grew smart too. I became smart enough to know how to act and what things to say to make everything hurt a little less. I learned that being with others was better than being alone and I learned that no was not an answer.

"And you know what else I learned Jacob Black?" I asked. "Never make a mistake twice." I was seething by the time I was done with my little speech. That was more information about myself that I had told anyone since moving here to La Push and Jake looked a little shocked to see me speak up and tell him so much. He gave me a sad smile and my heart rate slowly started to move back to normal. I shifted and laid back on the bed, putting some space between Jake and I, and covering my eyes with my hands.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"No."

"Liar." He accused.

"Yeah."

It was quiet for a long time after that.

"Sooo...Embry?" I asked, glancing over to him. As much as I think he didn't want to smile, he did and nodded his head before reaching over me and grabbing my cell phone off of the nightstand. He dialed Embry's number and I could hear the slight sound of the ringing. It rang and rang and rang so much that it made me worry that he wouldn't pick up. On the last ring he finally answered and I strained my ears to hear what he was saying but I could only hear the soft buzz of the phone.

"Hey, Emb? Come on over to Ari's, apparently she likes you way more than she likes me." He mused winking at me. I just curled into his side and waited for Embry, because _Jake was right_.

Jacob was great and I liked him a lot but I liked Embry way more, I _loved_ Embry way more than him.

But that's okay.

I think he understands.

* * *

><p>I must have been so content with the fact that Embry would be here soon because I fell asleep within a few moments against Jacob's side. After all, being honest was <em>exhausting<em>.

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><p><strong>Embry's Point of View.<strong>

I swung through Ariana's open window and landed with a light thud. She was sprawled out, half over Jacobs body and half on the bed, sound asleep. _Why does she always end up asleep whenever she's around Jake? _I asked myself.

"Did you alpha-whammy her?" I asked, cringing slightly. _How much alpha-ing could a human handle? _He put down the magazine he had been looking at and smiled wiry at me.

"Nope! Not this time." He assured me. "She's just tired. She tried waiting up for you though but having a mental breakdown makes her kinda sleepy." I sighed, ignored the mental breakdown part, and walked further into the room.

"Jake, I'm trying really hard here to trust you and everything but...I don't know man. What's going on?" I asked, running a hand through my hair frustratedly. He sighed and sat up all the way, picking Ari up with him and cradling her to his chest.

"Emb...Ari's not okay. She's not anywhere close to being okay and I'm not really sure what to do to help her." He admitted. Fear ran through my body.

"Wha-What do you mean she's _not okay_?" I asked. He glanced down at her sleeping form.

"Hey, Ariana, Honey?" He asked softly. She stirred slightly. "I've got to go, okay? Embry's here though, you can stay with him." She made a small sound of agreement in the back of her throat and I unconsciously smiled slightly at her. He kissed the top of her head before moving to get up and hand her over to me. "Love you, Ari." He whispered softly.

"Love you too, Jakey." She mumbled back before wrapping her arms around my neck and cuddling closer to me, pressing her face into my neck. I'm not going to lie, I'm jealous of Jake.

Ari loves him. _Loves him. _

Why couldn't she cuddle with me? And fall asleep against my side? Why couldn't she tell me that she loved _me_? I sighed softly and pulled her even closer.

"Emmy?" She asked in a groggy voice. Her lips tickled my neck as she spoke.

"Yeah, I'm right here."

"Yay." She mumbled. Jake snickered and I looked up at him slightly confused.

"Told you she likes you better." He told me, smirking. I rolled my eyes. Ariana and her cuteness always seemed to distract me. I had almost forgotten my original question to him. I opened my mouth to ask but instead he spoke up.

"We'll talk tomorrow. Ariana here is going to tell you everything. She's trying a new thing where she tells the truth. Right, Ari?" He asked.

"Right." She mumbled. I'm pretty sure she didn't know what she was saying but I was all for my imprint being honest with me so I didn't say anything. Jacob patted me on the shoulder and moved towards the window.

"Oh, hey, you don't think she'll mind if I borrow this, right? You wouldn't believe what's in here." He asked, turning back to look at me and holding up the magazine he had been looking at. _Cosmo. _

_Lovely._

"Just take it Jake, she won't notice." I mumbled, losing faith in my alpha by the second. He shrugged and swung out the window onto the roof. I shut the window after him, shifting her to my other side before heading back towards towards her bed. I pulled the covers down and laid her carefully on the bed. She always looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. I sighed. _What was wrong with her? Why wasn't she okay? _I shut the lights off before climbing onto the bed.

"Embry?" She sighed quietly. I perked up a little at the sound of her voice and cuddled closer to her.

"Yeah?" I asked, pulling her against me and kissing her temple.

"I'm sorry."

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><p><strong>Ariana's Point of View.<strong>

"I _love _professional days." I sang softly in Embry's ear. He moved slightly but otherwise stayed firmly where he was on my bed, his arm trapping me to him. "Oh come on, I know you're awake, Emb." He made no move to get up or confirm what I said. I sighed dramatically and dropped my head back to his chest.

It was the next morning and we, thankfully, had a professional day. This meant that Embry and I had the whole day to ourselves...well not until Embry got up. I blew on an exposed part of his neck and he finally flinched and cracked a smile. I giggled when he flipped us over so he was hovering over me.

"_Come on! _I need my beauty rest." He insisted. I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him against me before kissing him.

After all, Embry and I had the whole day…

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><p><strong>Sorry it's been so long! The next one will be out sooner! I'm thinking phasing next chapter but I'm not 100% sure… <strong>

**Remember to review, it makes me write faster!**


	18. Fighting&Phasing

**I am really excited this chapter is here! I've been waiting since the first chapter for this...no joke. Not too many more chapters...but I promise you guys will see plenty of Ariana and Embry in my next story, 2 is Better. Can't wait for you guys to read that, I hope you all stay with me as I continue my perfection series! **

**Reminder to check out my website for pics, teasers, and story information.**

**Also, in case any of you don't know, FanFiction hates me. It will not let me reply to reviews on either of my stories, it says it is an "invalid link". _Invalid link my ass. _But I want to thank all of you for them, they are all so sweet and I wish I could reply to every one of you personally and tell you...maybe the links will work when I get reviews for this chapter...we will have to wait and see!**

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><p>"What do you mean?" I whisper yelled...it wasn't just whisper yelling, it was whisper screeching. "You. Were. A. <em>Virgin!<em>" I continued. "And didn't tell me! You fucking didn't tell me!" There was some snickering from behind us and even though the guys shouldn't have been able to hear me, they definitely knew what was going on. I spun around to face their direction.

"THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, SO GET THE FUCK AWAY AND LEAVE US ALONE!" I yelled at them. I was so mad right now, I was livid. Half of them took me seriously and the other half looked very amused. Jake just looked wary. Either way, they all backed off, towards the school. I turned back to Embry who was just looking at the ground. My face softened and I took a step closer to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked softly. He shrugged, still not making eye contact. I reached my hand up and cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at me. He looked embarrassed but I just felt kinda sad. "Your first time should have been special...and it should have been with someone special...not me."

"No! It was special and I wouldn't have wanted it to be with anyone other than you." He argued quickly, reaching up to place his hand on top of mine. I drooped my head and shook it slightly. "I just wanted you to like me." He mumbled pathetically. A lump formed in my throat and I did my best to swallow it.

"I L-...I really like you, a lot. You didn't have to pretend to have experience, I wouldn't have judged you." I promised. He searched my eyes for a second before sighing.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I urged. "_I'm _sorry." He looked incredibly hurt and it took me a moment to realize why. I opened my mouth to clarify what I meant but he spoke up.

"You regret having sex with me." He stated glumly.

"What? No. That's not what I meant, it was great. You were amazing. I just think it should have been with somebody else...you deserve better." I admitted. He pulled me into a hug then, tight against his chest and kissed my forehead. I almost told him I loved him but stopped myself.

"Well, I for one, think you are way to good for me." It was a sweet thing to say but completely untrue. He was way too good for me but I didn't know how to tell him that. "Are we ever going to talk?" He asked after a couple silent minutes. I almost retorted back with something along the lines of, '_we always talk', _but I knew that wasn't what he meant. He wanted to know what I was keeping from him and he wanted to know what was going on. I couldn't blame him for wanting to know but I just didn't want to tell him. He wouldn't like me very much after that…

"We can talk, Emb, but you're going to hate me when I tell you what you want to know." I told him softly.

"I could never _hate _you." He promised._ Lies._ "I don't want to force you to tell me something you don't want to but I'm worried about you. You mean a lot to me...and Jake said you aren't all right. I just want you to be okay."

"I'm okay." I said automatically. I wasn't okay and I wanted to be mad at Jake for telling Embry that something was wrong with me, but I couldn't be mad at him. He was such a good friend and had been there for me when I was down. He also had been lying to his family and friends on my behalf...I owed him.

"Can we please talk after school? Please?" He pleaded. I pulled back from his warm chest and leaned up slightly to kiss him for a few moments.

"Sure."

* * *

><p>What was I thinking? I was distracted by his adorableness. I was not answering in my right mind. I didn't have to tell him <em>anything<em>. I left my last period class and managed to get out of the school in record time without being stopped by Embry or Jake. How was I going to escape though? I could drive away but then Embry would just find me at my house. Where would he never expect me to be?

I saw my answer passing by me in a blue truck. I tossed my keys on the dashboard of my car before sprinting towards the vehicle. Someone would find the car and take it home for me. Where is the last place anyone would think I would be? _With Jared._

"Jared!" I called. He glanced over at me and looked like he was considering whether he should stop the car or not. He did though and rolled down the passenger window. "Where are you going?" I asked quickly.

"Uh…up to Port Angeles. I have to pick something up." He told me.

"Great! I'm coming!" I announced, opening the passenger door before he had time to lock it. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"No. Out." He growled. I rolled my eyes.

"Drive." I ordered. Once he saw I wasn't going to get out, he let out a low snarl and drove off. "Why are you going to Port Angeles?" I wondered as he merged onto the highway.

"Why are _you _going to Port Angeles?" He countered back. I turned to look at him, raising my eyebrows slightly. "Kim's birthday is in a few weeks. I want to get her something nice." He finally said. I smirked and rolled my eyes.

"You should just fuck her, she's way to pent-up." I suggested. He growled softly in disagreement or annoyance...maybe both, before reaching over and flicking my leg. "_Ow!_" I complained. "I was just trying to help!" He laughed softly and I reached over hitting him as hard as I could in the arm.

"What the fuck!" He yelled as the car swerved. _I didn't realize I was that strong… _I screeched as the car went dangerously close to the low metal fence on the side of the highway. "Dammit, Ariana!"

"You're such a moron, Jared! What if you had tipped the car over? We would have _died!_" I screeched, hitting his arm again but lighter this time.

"Oh shut up, it was all your fault and you would have been the only one who would have died." He argued. I snorted softly and crossed my arms.

"My names Jared and I am so fucking awesome." I mocked in an annoying voice. "I love Kim so much and am so whipped. I also don't know how to drive because I'm a moron. Blah, blah, blah."

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

><p>"We should go here."<p>

"No."

"We could go to the-"

"No."

"We should go get our nails done at-"

"No."

"Can we go get coffee?"

"Sure."

"Really?"

"No."

I let out a frustrated sigh. He was no fun. I was starting to think that facing Embry might have been the better thing to do.

"That shirt looks stupid on you." I told him, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye to see his reaction. He just shoved me but luckily I caught myself before falling flat on my face. "Asshole." I muttered. He smirked and reached over, pulling on the ends of my hair. "Asshole!" I said louder, earning a few glares from some people around us. That made Jared smile a little wider.

"Right here." He said happily, looping me around the neck and pulling me into a store. I stumbled and did my best to pull out of his grasp but he just squeeze me a little tighter, ignoring my struggles.

"Asshole." I reminded him for a third time. He just smiled and pretended he hadn't heard me.

"Hi, can I help you two?" I perky voice asked from in front of us. Jared had brought us into a little jewelry store..._typical. _

"Yes, I'm looking to buy my girlfriend a promise ring." He told the lady. _Double typical. _The lady looked expectantly between Jared and me before leading us to a case with rings. She probably thinks we are dating and I am the girlfriend. Gross. She went into a whole spiel about what different ones meant and what they stood for, along with the styles and materials they were made out of. Jared ooh-ed and ahh-ed at everything like a girl but I quickly grew bored and started looking at the other things the store had to offer.

"What do you think of this?" The sales lady asked me, holding up a spiral-like ring. The ring was very pretty and adorned with a few, small, glittering diamonds.

"Oh she's not my-" Jared started to say.

"Oh, Babe! It's so pretty!" I cooed, reaching up and hitting his cheek just a bit to hard to be considered a friendly tap. "I want an _engagement _ring though, so we can get married and live happily ever after." I was about to go on and continue with the story of our imaginary, fake children and how they would all be going to Harvard but an arm went around me and a hand covered my mouth.

"She's not my girlfriend." Jared corrected the woman. "Don't listen to a word she says, she's a brat and no one likes her." _Ouch. _I resisted the urge to bite his finger off. _Some people like me… _I frowned against his hand. _Asshole. _"I like it…" He said softly, examining the ring again. No...that was all wrong, he shouldn't get her that ring. I did my best to get free from his hand but he kept it firmly over my mouth. Finally, I just gave up and bit him. "_Ow!_" He yelped.

"You shouldn't get that one." I stated, pretending I hadn't just bit him.

"Ariana, no one asked you. Just-"

"The spiral wont be comfortable to wear and I'm guessing you want Kimberly to wear it, right?" I asked.

"Kim." He corrected automatically but I chose to ignore it.

"You should get something with a smooth inside, it'll be more comfortable, but you don't want the diamonds to big or else it will look like an engagement ring. If she's not letting you fuck her then she doesn't want to be married." The sales woman blushed a little at my language. I scanned the case. "That ones cute...that one too." I told him, pointing to two of the rings in the case.

"I like that one…" He pointed out, sounding a little surprised that I was helping him.

"That one's cool, and you can get your names or your anniversary date inscribed on the inside." I suggested. The sales woman handed him the ring to look at. "So can we go get coffee?" I asked, looking up at him. He twirled the ring around in his finger for a couple seconds.

"Yeah, Ri's, in a couple minutes." I was a little taken back by the nickname but did my best to hide it. I just ignored him and continued to look around the store. A few other people were walking around looking at things. "Ready to go?" Jared asked, coming up behind me. I flinched slightly in surprise at his closeness but then smoothed my face out and nodded my head. He had a small bag in one of his hands and seemed to be in a good mood.

"Get a ring for your _giiiiirlfriend_?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at him. He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"You know, you're an annoying bitch sometimes." He admitted. My mouth dropped open for a second in surprise. "But sometimes you're kinda sweet. It makes me think that maybe you aren't all bad and that's what Embry sees in you."

"I hate you." I told him, because it was the only thing I could say. He shook his head slowly as we made our way back to his car.

"No you don't, or you wouldn't have come with me today." He argued. I pulled on the passenger door, a little harder than necessary because I was just so mad at him, and climbed into the car. I was so tempted to just stay in Port Angeles and call someone to come and get me, but I can't really think of anyone who would want to. Collin doesn't have is license yet and Embry probably isn't too happy with me at the moment.

"Don't flatter yourself. The only reason I came here with you today is because I knew it was the last place anyone would look for me." I spat. He perked up with interest as he started the car and pulled out of our spot.

"_Really?" _He wondered, very interested by the turn of conversation but I just ignore him. After all, I'd be home soon enough. "So why wouldn't you want anyone to know where you are?" He prodded. "What'd you do this time?" He seemed to find this incredibly funny but I just felt horrible.

"You're right. Everyone hates me." I said softly. He burst into laughter.

"Yup!" The he paused once he realized I wasn't being sarcastic with him. "Hey, you know I'm just messing with you. Not everyone hates you." He reasoned. He reached over and awkwardly placed his hand on my shoulder but I shoved him off.

"Leave me alone."

Soon we were in a yelling match with each other and any friendship that there had been in Port Angeles was long gone.

We fought the entire way home.

Looks like we're not getting coffee…

* * *

><p>He pulled up in front of my house and I pushed on the door to get out but it wouldn't budge. I was so mad at him and he seemed just as equally angry with me.<p>

"Unlock the fucking door, jackass." I spat, pushing on it again. Jared glared at me and flashbacks of Alex and me in a similar situation ran through my head. "Open it!" I screeched in a panic.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with you. I try to be nice to you cuz you're with Embry and you're friends with Kim but you just can't be nice to anyone because you are so _goddamned self-centered!_" He yelled. I shrunk back and pulled the lock up before jumping out of my car and sprinting towards my front door. "Ariana!" He was behind me in a second and I gasped, pushing on my front door. It was locked and the keys were on the key ring to my car which was...well, I'm not really sure where my car is.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screeched at him, hitting the door, hoping someone was home. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry, okay? Come on, I'll bring you to Embry's. He probably wants to see you anyway." He soothed, taking another step towards me. I flattened myself against the front door. I was trapped.

"Don't hurt me!" I begged and he froze. His eyes widening slightly.

"Ari...I'm not...I wouldn't...I'm sorry…" He whispered moving to step closer to me. I shrunk back closer to the door. It felt like the door was vibrating but maybe it was me. "Shit." He muttered, pulling out his phone. "How about I call Embry, okay?" He asked. "You want to see him?" I nodded my head absently and he was on the phone in the next second. "I need you to get over to Ariana's house immediately." He hissed before hanging up, not waiting for an answer.

"Leave me alone." I said quietly, but it wasn't very convincing and he was the one who was now looking a little scared.

"Want to try the back door and see if it's open?" He suggested. Our back door was usually open but Jared had me trapped. He quickly backed away, putting distance between us and I walked shakily around my house towards my backyard with him following closely. The door was open just a crack, Collin often left it open by accident and for once I was grateful of his mistake. I made a move to go inside but Jared blocked my path. "Let's stay outside." He suggested. "Wait for Embry." I backed away from him and a growl escaped my lips before I could control myself. He was muttering to himself about how it was so obvious when Embry burst out of the woods, surprising me and making me jump into a predatory crouch. He froze, watching me before raising his hands up much like Jared had.

"What did you do?" Embry growled at Jared. He shook his head but didn't answer anything. My eyes flickered back and forth between them and I was still shaking. "Ari? Honey? Are you alright?" He asked in that sweet voice he only used for me. I shot up from the ground to stand, still glancing between them warily.

"I would be fine if everyone would just stop asking me if I'm alright!" I snarled at him. "I am _fine_!" Jared looked scared now and was looking at me like I was crazy. Embry just looked like he was in pain. _Why wasn't he near me?_ He usually comforted me when I freaked out or was having a bad day but right now he just looked wary of me. Now he didn't even want me. Everything was blurring and my ears were ringing. I didn't like how he was looking at me. I didn't like how either of them were acting towards me.

Everything happened slowly then and I let out a cry of pain. My bones felt like they were shifting and I dropped back to the ground, no longer in a predatory crouch but just collapsed. Tears rolled down my face as the pain shot through me again. It was worse then the day at Embry's house...it was a different type of pain and I heard someone yell to call Jake. My bones were snapping and replacing themselves and there was a scalding heat surrounding me. Then there were new voices...talking to me but not talking to me.

_Holy fuck! _One gasped in my head.

_What was going on? _I opened my eyes and instantly wished I hadn't. Everything was spinning and I registered Jared taking his pants off. _What the fuck? _Then he was a dark brown wolf. I opened my mouth to scream but all that came out was a high-pitched sound that was a mix between a snarl and a growl. _Double what the fuck?_

_Everybody phase out, except Ari! _A voice sounding much like Jared's ordered. But Jared couldn't have been talking...he was currently wolfing out. _Stupid Jared. _

_Even when she's going crazy, she finds a way to insult me! _The voice complained. But the few other voices that had been in my head were gone. Maybe I really was going crazy. Then I was alone and I watched as the brown wolf melted back into Jared. I really was going crazy. _Was I dying? _I shut my eyes because the world was much better in my, now quiet, mind.

"Ariana…" I knew that voice and it wasn't coming from my mind. It was coming from right in front of me. I reached my hand up to rub my eyes and clear my head but instead I ended up scratching myself.

"Ow!" It didn't come out as an _ow. _It sounded like an annoyed bark. I jumped backwards in surprise and opened my eyes. I wasn't prepared for what I saw and the shock of it all made me let out a strangled sob. I tripped and realized I wasn't on two legs or crawling...I was standing on four legs, well I was until I fell flat on my face...muzzle...face...muzzle.

"Hey, hey, Honey, it's okay." Embry soothed. I could see his hand reaching out slowly in front of me, towards my face. I froze and then his fingers threaded through the fur that seemed to have magically appeared there. It calmed me momentarily but then the sound of the back door shutting startled me and I gasped, ready to attack and biting down on the first thing that I came in contact with. I didn't realize what it was until a metallic-like taste came into my mouth. _Oh no._

To Embry's credit, he didn't flinch or yell at me. He didn't try to fight me off or remove my teeth from his hand. He didn't yell at Jared who had shut the door either. He stayed calm but I immediately started to panic. I released my teeth from his hand and stared down at the damage. _I'm sorry. So, so, so sorry. _I couldn't tell him though because he couldn't understand me. And then just because I didn't understand what was happening and I had just hurt someone I loved, I broke down into tears. Big, sobbing, wet tears that left me whimpering.

"Ariana. It's okay. I'm not mad." He promised. I couldn't even look at him. I had hurt him, almost bit his hand off. I was a horrible person. "Jared, where's Jake?" He asked. I had been doing my best to ignore Jared and focus on Embry but I _knew _Jared was there. I could smell him, hear him breathing, and I could sense him. I didn't like it at all.

"Apparently he chose the wrong day to go grocery shopping for Billy. He'll be here soon." Jared responded. _Jake? Jake was coming to see me? Would he be mad at me for hurting Embry?_ I let out another strangled cry.

"You're a wolf, Honey. You figured that out, right?" He asked. Unfortunately, I had figured it out. I'm not sure if I nodded my head or not but either way he continued. "But that's okay because Jacob's a wolf and Jared's a wolf and I'm a wolf. So _it's okay." _This information surprised me. He was a wolf? I guess that made sense. Did that mean he didn't care if I was wolf? I hope he didn't. "Do you want to try to be human again?" He suggested softly. I know I nodded my head enthusiastically for that. I still couldn't look at him though, I didn't want to see if he was disgusted or mad at me. I couldn't bear it.

"Embry, I don't think thats a good idea...she should probably stay a wolf for a little while...get used to it. You should wait for Jake to-" Jared started to say but Embry interrupted him.

"Can you go get her some clothes from her room?" He asked calmly, placing his hand on my muzzle again. Jared grunted out some sort of agreement before heading into my house. This time when the door shut, I was prepared and didn't attack Embry.

"All you have to do is be calm." He explained. He rubbed the fur on the top of my head, between my ears, and I purred softly between my sobs. "Think of something happy." He instructed softly. I thought of him and how he was always so nice to me. I thought about making out in the rain under bleachers and having whip cream fights. I thought about cuddling on the couch and watching cop shows. I thought about mind blowing sex with him and how he brought me coffee just because. I let out another sob and realized this one was most definitely human. I collapsed against him, still crying. He lifted me up and cradled me closer to him.

"Wow...I don't think anyone has ever phased back that quickly…" Jared mumbled from somewhere behind Embry. "Sorry, Ariana." He sighed. "I'll call the pack meeting. This normally happens in the woods since the newbies are usually still wolfed out...but I guess Sam and Emily's would probably work better, huh?" I felt Embry nod his head then there was a slight shimmer in the air and Jared was gone. A few seconds later a howl rang through the sky and I had the urge to go somewhere but Embry kept me where I was.

"I'm sorry!" I blubbered. I had never cried in front of Embry, I reserved my crying sessions for Jake but all I wanted to do was be comforted by Embry right now. "Is your hand okay?" I asked in a shaky voice. He made a soothing sound in the back of his throat.

"I'm fine." He promised. "Come one, lets get some clothes on you and then we can go see everyone." I realized then that I was completely naked. I nodded my head and he gently set me on my feet, my entire body ached and hurt. Jared had placed a pair of shorts, a long sleeved black t-shirt, and a simple pair of underwear. No bra. I got dressed quickly, still wiping tears from my eyes, not sure whether I was upset about not having a bra or glad Jared hadn't gone through my bra drawer. I realized the shirt was now a little small on me and that made me miserable. You could see a little space between the shorts and my top.

"Why won't you look at me?" Embry said in a hurt tone. I just didn't really understand what was going on. All I knew is that I turned into a wolf but that apparently it was okay because Embry was one as well. I had almost bitten Embry's hand off and I was possible going crazy. Completely and utterly crazy. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner about the wolves...I just didn't want you to get scared and hate me." He admitted softly. I collapsed back against him again, wrapping my arms tightly around him.

"I'm a wa-wolf and I bit you and I'm a horrible p-person." I stuttered, crying into his shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope that reactionphasing was real enough… The next chapter will pick up where this one leaves off! XX. Cassy**


	19. Explaining&Mud

**A story for you all: I started writing my next chapter of Wonderland and then I got stuck and so I was like 'I'm going to start Mirrors'. So I did. And I have to say, this is probably my favorite part/chapter of this entire story. And it is SOOOO long, the longest thing I have ever written, but I thought if I broke it into two parts then you guys would get mad...so here it is!**

**I also was not going to post it until tomorrow or Thursday but I got so many awesome reviews from you guys that I decided to edit it and post it tonight...even though I have homework. Oops!**

**Remember to review! Lot's of love, Cassy**

* * *

><p>I'm too young to let this world destroy me.<p>

* * *

><p>Embry had eventually lifted me up in his arms and carried me to Jared's truck. I wasn't sure exactly where Jared had gone but I was guessing he was at Sam and Emily's since that was where I had the desperate need to go.<p>

"We have to go to Sam's." I finally blurted out as Embry started the car. I was still crying but not as hard as before. "We have to go _now._" He sighed and wrapped one around around me while using the other to steer.

"Don't worry, we are going there." He soothed. "You want to go there because Jared ordered you...it's part of being a wolf." _A wolf._ I shuddered. _What kind of world was this?_ I didn't want to be a wolf, I wanted to be human. But technically was I even human at all...was I even human right now? I didn't even both asking why Jared could order me around...I didn't really want to know.

"Oh." I muttered, unsure of how to answer that. We pulled up to Sam and Emily's little house a couple minutes later. I was still wiping at my tears, I didn't want to face anyone while I was crying. "Who else?" I choked out. He knew what I meant. _Who else is a wolf? _

"The group of guys from school, Sam, and Leah." He whispered. That made sense, they all stuck together as a group...as a pack. _A pack. _Then something dawned on me that had me gasping for air.

"C-collin!" I managed to get out as another round of tears assaulted me. The growth spurt, the disappearance, how he was never home, and I'm sure I hadn't made it any easier on him. Another reason I was so horrible.

"Shh...yeah, he's a wolf too." He said softly, hugging me close. I felt a tingling sensation in my fingers and toes and noticed they were vibrating again. "Hey, hey. Calm down, okay? If you get scared or angry then you are going to phase...you're going to turn into a wolf again and you don't want that right now." I froze in my place, terrified to even move. I didn't want to turn into a wolf again and I didn't want to go see the other wolves. Neither of us had bothered in buckling our seat belts and he pulled me easily onto his lap before opening the drivers door and getting out of the car. I quickly hid my face in the crook of his neck. I didn't want to do anything.

"I'm sorry." I sniffled again.

"I don't understand why you're apologizing." He said softly.

"I'm just sorry for everything I've ever done." I whispered back in response. I could hear the voices of everyone is side. Everyone was confused and no one really knew what was going on. I knew Jake wasn't there yet.

"You're lying. You're lying." Collin was repeating over and over again.

"She didn't phase, stop messing with us." Quil argued.

"Is this just some stupid prank the three of you thought up? Cuz it's not funny." Leah snapped. They were all wolves. I could smell them and they smelled like family but I didn't really want to be near them. _Why couldn't Embry and I just stay in the car? _It went silent for a moment as the door opened and Embry took a seat on the couch, still holding me close, then all chaos broke up.

"No, no. You are lying! You're lying!" "Holy fuck she's a wolf, she's actually a wolf." "I _told _you!" "Nah, it's just Embry's smell on her." "Girl power!" "No, I'm pretty sure she wolfed out…" "She was in my head!"

My head whipped around, there was just to many of them. I couldn't focus on all of them at once and I could hear _everything. _I could make out every little smell and see so many details of things I'd never noticed. It was so distracting and was confusing me more than ever.

"Guys, _GUYS_!" Embry yelled, shielding me a little from them. "Shut the _fuck_ up! She's freaking out and unless you want her to phase then take five steps backwards." They all paused for a moment before moving a little farther away. I finally looked at Embry, his eyes were shut and he looked upset...probably with me. I quickly looked away from him and wiped any stray tears from my face. I took notice of his hand then. He had been pressing it against the bottom of his shirt and that part was now stained a dark crimson color...and it was still bleeding. I let out a pained whimper and I felt every eye in the room turn to me. I slowly picked up his hand to assess the damage fully. It was not as bad as before but it still didn't look too good and a couple of people sucked in breaths of air.

"I am so sorry!" I was on the verge of tears again. It was the first time I had spoken since entering the room. The focus was once again on me until the door suddenly slammed open. I let out a hiss. It was Jacob and his eyes immediately rested on mine. He breathed out a sigh and came right over to me, scooping me up in his arms, and hugging me close to him.

"Is she okay?" He asked. I liked cuddling with Jake but I wanted to be with Embry right now. I needed to show him how sorry I was and see if there was anyway to make it better. I tried to get out of his grasp but he held onto me a little tighter. "Can Emily check his hand?" He asked. I hesitated.

"I have some first aid stuff and disinfectant." Emily piped up from somewhere within the group of people. I finally nodded my head okay and Jacob loosened his grip on me slightly. Emily retrieved a couple of cloths, a bottle of sloshy liquid, and a small kit with some medical supplies in it. I fixated my eyes on Embry but now he was the one who wouldn't look at me. "This isn't very good, you might need Doctor Cullen to look at it. She got you pretty badly, I don't think the skins setting right but I should disinfect it anyway so that the parts that are healing are okay." I let out another low whimper. He probably hates me.

Embry let out a hiss as the liquid that had been put on one cloth was pressed on his hand. I was out of Jacob's arms and at Embry's side in a flash, growling at Emily. She blinked in surprise and then was pushed behind Sam who was now growling at me, this made Embry growl at Sam. Jared quickly stepped to Sam's side, ready to defend him since two against one wasn't fair and Leah jumped to my side growling at Jared and Sam, but mostly Sam. It soon turned into everyone in the room growling at each other.

"Everybody shut up!" Jake ordered and I quickly clamped my mouth shut, unable to help myself. "Ari. We don't growl at Emily or Kim and we don't bite people." He scolded. I shrunk back a little and looked at the floor.

"I didn't mean to bite Embry. I really didn't mean too." I promised quietly, feeling horrible. _They knew how sorry I was, right?_ "I just got startled and he was too close. I'm so sorry."

"She _never _apologizes for anything." Collin grumbled. Maybe not, but this was important. I hadn't talked to Collin at all since I entered the house but I made brief eye contact with him. He gave me a small smile before dropping his gaze.

"I know you didn't mean to bite him and he's not mad, right Embry?" Jake asked.

"Right." Embry assured me but I wasn't fully convinced.

"Good. Now how about you come sit with me while Emily looks at his hand, okay?" He looked at me expectantly and I realized I had latched my right arm around Embry's lower, left leg in an effort to keep me with him. I still wasn't convinced that he wasn't mad at me and I didn't want to leave him. "Ariana…" Jake said in a warning voice. I let go and slowly crawled over to where Jake had sat down, leaning against the wall. Once I was close enough, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to sit on his lap. He gave a nod to Emily over my head and this time made sure to keep a firm grip on me.

"So, tomorrow is cereal night. I was thinking cookie crisp because there is a wolf on the box, also, whoever invented it is a freaking genius. Cookie cereal, who'd a thought?" He mused. I stared at him, not very amused. _Was this really the time to be talking about cereal?_ There were much more important things going on. I glanced over at Embry, he hadn't made any noise but I could tell he was biting his lip, probably for my benefit.

"I'm sorry." I said and a couple of the guys let out frustrated sighs.

"Is that all she's gonna say?" Paul grunted out in an annoyed voice. Jared walked over and crouched down in front of me, making me freeze for a moment.

"Jared...I don't think that's a good idea." Jake warned but Jared ignored him, moving a bit closer to me and pulling out a velvet jewelry box.

"Do you want to see the ring I got for Kim?" He asked. I glanced down at the box. "You helped pick it out and I got our anniversary date inscribed on the inside...that was your idea." I relaxed a little bit, nodded my head and opened my hands so he could hand me the ring. "Be careful with it." He reminded me. I nodded my head again before he dropped the ring into my open hands. I lifted it up, twirling the ring around in my fingers. Sure enough, it was one of the rings I had pointed to.

"It's very pretty, she's going to love it." I said softly. He grinned happily at me in probably the most genuine smile I had ever seen him give me and seemed relieved that I finally said something that didn't have to do with apologizing. I put the ring back in his hand before turning my attention back to Jake who was watching me curiously.

"Can we tell her the stories?" Seth piped up from his seat on one of the chairs. _Stories?_

"She actually already knows them." He told Seth. "You remember the stories about the wolves I told you?" He asked. _Oh, those stories._ I nodded my head. "Well, yeah, they're all true. Surprise." I didn't find it very amusing but Brady snorted.

"Can we just make her order people around?" Leah asked. I didn't really know what she meant but honestly, I just wanted to go sit with Embry.

"Not yet, but later for sure." Jake promised, smiling down at me. "So Ari, ready to tell me what happened?" He asked._ No, no I was not._ I sat silently, not answering him, before looking longingly back over at Embry.

"You know Jake, you don't seem too surprised that she phased." Quil mused. Everyone was looking at Jake now, including me. He coughed awkwardly.

"Well, um, yeah. I've been trying to reverse the phasing for about two weeks now." He admitted. "Apparently that doesn't work, by the way." _Yeah, obviously it doesn't work._

"What made me turn into a wolf?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"You have the gene like me but you phase when you get really mad." Collin explained from his seat, leaning against the opposite wall. _Well that was strange, who would have thought? _

"Actually, I have a different theory on that. I think she-wolves phase when they're scared." Jake explained. _They phase when they're scared? I phased because I was scared? _My eyes flickered to Jared quickly but then I just turned to look at Embry again. He must be so mad at me.

"Can I please go sit with Embry? _Please?_" I requested, hoping for a subject change.

"I'm almost done disinfecting." Emily said cheerfully. Sam was standing loyally by her side, probably making sure I didn't try to attack her again. "I've cleaned the wound pretty well and parts are healing, we'll be able to tell within the next half hour or so if it's infected. If it is then we'll have to call Doctor Cullen." I didn't want Embry to have to go to the doctor. I looked up at Jake pleadingly and he sighed before loosening his tight grip on me. I quickly got up and pattered over to Embry, standing in front of him, my eyes fixed on his hand. It really didn't look as bad as it did before, whatever Emily had done had definitely helped.

I just wanted to climb onto his lap and cuddle with him, but not if he didn't want me to. He surprised me by looping me around the waist and pulling me close to his side. I breathed out a sigh of relief and tucked my legs up, letting my toes tuck under his leg, and leaned my head on his chest. He gave me a little squeeze and leaned down, kissing the tip of my nose. I smiled, unable to help myself and looked up at him.

I froze and my breath caught in my throat.

Everything was moving really slow and the self-hatred of what I had done to Embry multiplied a thousand times. I shouldn't be anywhere near him. _What if I hurt him again?_ I was such a bad person. I was the worst wolf and girlfriend ever.

"Ari? Ariana? I asked you a question." Jake spoke up. Time started moving again and I quickly scrambled out of Embry's arms and backwards on the couch. My heart was racing and my hands started to shake slightly.

"No way, no fucking way." Leah snarled in an annoyed voice. "She actually imprinted on him, so much for having a partner in crime."

"Ari." Embry said in a hurt voice. I focused back on him and his irresistible brown eyes. "Come on." He said softly, reaching his good hand out towards me.

"You have five-seconds Emb, or I'm taking her outside." Paul said from somewhere to my right.

"You'll sit with me?" He asked, smiling. "Please?" He _wanted _me to sit with him. I couldn't not sit with him if he wanted me to. But I didn't want to hurt him...but he _wanted _me to sit with him... I inched a little closer to him and he wrapped his arms back around me, holding me close against his chest. I felt my heart rate slow and my shaking stop. My eyes shut and I pressed my face against his chest, just focusing on his arms around me. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

"See? She's fine." He reasoned to the others. "If you yell at her or talk down to her then she'll panic but if you're nice then she's fine."

"Looks like you're going to be on babysitting duty for a while." Jacob mused.

"Sa-weet." Embry said happily. _Who was he babysitting? It better not be me._

"How about everyone stays for dinner tonight?" Emily suggested, taking the attention off of me. "That way you can figure out what else you need to tell Ariana. Sam? Help me in the kitchen?" I knew Sam probably followed her out of the living room. _Whipped. _

"Any questions?" Jake asked, sitting down on my other side. _Only about five million… _

"I just want to go home." I whined into Embry's chest. I just wanted to go to bed, preferably with Embry there. There were too many people around and I was way too hot in this long-sleeved shirt. "Please? I wont growl or bite anyone...unless they really deserve it." I promised, pulling away to look at him. He sighed.

"Just stay for dinner then you can leave...but you'll have to stay close to Embry or me for a little while. That okay with you?" Jake asked. It was perfectly all right with me to stay with Embry. I nodded my head before picking up Embry's hand again. As if he knew I was going to apologize again, he cupped my cheek and forced me to look back up at him.

"I'm not mad at you, I promise...not even a little bit, so stop worrying and apologizing. It was an accident and you didn't know what was going on." He insisted. He was right, it was an accident and I didn't know what was going on, but it was still wrong and I still felt bad. "Besides, wolves heal faster than humans. I'll be one-hundred percent better by later tonight." He promised. My eyes widened a little. Wolves had super healing abilities? _Cool_. He chuckled softly and pulled me all the way onto his lap, cuddling me close.

"You'll stay with me tonight, right?" I asked, looking up at him hopefully.

"Of course."

The others had finally lost interest in me and had turned some video game on, egging each other on to beat the other. They were all so _loud _and I could hear _everything. _I just wanted to go home where it was quiet.

"Embry...I don't think I want to be a wolf." I whispered brokenly. He shot me the most apologetic look and I instantly felt bad. "I mean, unless you really want me to be one, then I guess it's okay." I quickly backtracked. He sighed and let his head lean back to look up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry." I added, knowing I probably had done something wrong. He sighed again before looking back at me.

"Remember, we're not apologizing, okay?" He reminded me. I nodded my head, remembering what he said earlier. "It's not about what I want, it's about what you want. But there's nothing I can do about the wolf thing, you're kinda stuck like this for a while." He said apologetically. "I think I'm okay with you being a wolf though...we can have races in the woods...I bet you're really fast, and we can run to Canada if you want." He breathed out a deep breath. "Everything will be okay." I believed him because he wouldn't lie to me. _Everything will be okay._

"Okay. So, shifters, check. Fast healing, check. No biting or growling at humans, check and check." Jake was mulling over everything in his head and I turned my attention to him. "I'm alpha which basically means I'm in charge of the pack, you fall at about fifth because you kinda climbed rank before you phased...pretty cool if you ask me. That means that you can tell the lower ranking wolves what to do to an extent but we don't use it unless we have to...or if we're bored and need some entertainment, got it?" I nodded my head. _I think so._

"We have heightened senses as wolves...or I guess shape-shifters is a more accurate term." Jacob mused. "You can hear, see, and smell better. You also are really fast and strong...so be careful." I nodded my head again, feeling like this was just way too much. "Also, we protect people...from vampires." I found myself nodding again before I froze and glanced up at Embry to see if Jacob was lying. Embry was just looking down at me, gauging my reaction.

"Va-vampires?" I stuttered. He winced slightly.

"Yeah, believe me, you'll know if you see one. There's some that live in Forks...they have golden eyes which means they're good...they only drink animal blood." He explained. I nodded in understanding. I just wanted to wake up from this horrible dream and I was doing way to much nodding.

"And, um, one last thing...when we are in our wolf form we can hear each others minds." He said softly. My eyes widened and I willed myself not to cry. _Did that mean everyone knew everything? _"After some practice you can shield certain things but we don't really have secrets in this pack...just so you know." I nodded my head. I guess the wolf would be out of the bag soon…

The front door opened and I perked up to figure out who it was. I recognized the scent and apparently Jared did too because he dropped his controller and dashed out of the room to meet Kim.

"Hey, Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" Jared sounded a little on edge. I heard their lips smack together briefly before Kim spoke.

"Do you not want me here?" She asked, sounding a little hurt. I could just imagine Jared shaking his head no.

"That's not it." He insisted. "Just...um...something happened and now is not a really good time..." I'm guessing I was that something… I drooped my head a little, I ruin everything.

"What happened? Did someone get hurt? Was there a vampire? Did-" Jared cut Kim off.

"No, no. Nothing like that...there just-"

"Dinner's ready!" Emily called. Everyone seemed just as excited about dinner as Jared did about seeing Kim. "Oh, Kim! Hi! You'll stay for dinner, right?" Emily, always way too cheerful.

"Are you sure that's such-" Jared started.

"I'd love to!"

I realized then that he didn't want Kim near me...he didn't want me to hurt her. Jake and Embry hadn't run in with the rest of the pack to get dinner, they were just watching me.

"Can I please go home?" I asked. Embry looked like he wanted to say yes but Jake shook his head.

"Nope, come on, time for dinner." He insisted. Embry looked like he was going to argue on my behalf but Jake sent him a glare that kept him quiet. Instead he stood up and placed me on my feet. My whole body ached like I had just run a marathon without training ahead of time, but it felt a little better with Embry there. He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, giving me a hug, and leaned down kissing just below my ear, knowing it would make me smile.

"We'll leave after dinner." He promised. I nodded my head and he gave me one last squeeze before letting go of me and taking my hand to lead me into the kitchen. The kitchen made up a majority of the Uley household and was definitely the nicest part. While the living room had mismatched chairs and couches, the kitchen had state of the art appliances and the biggest table I had ever seen. It could easily hold six large Quileute boys on each side, along with two on each end. Emily had set out big bowls of Italian bread and salad on the table along with large pots of spaghetti with sauce.

I hadn't noticed how hungry I was until I saw the food...but I was starving. Hungrier than I had ever been or could remember being. Embry slid into a seat on the left side of the table and I quickly took the one next to him. Some of the others were already seated and a few were mulling around the kitchen looking for extra food that might not have been placed on the table. Leah was happily munching on a piece of bread, waving it in Paul's face. He looked pissed at her.

"We're not allowed to take anything off the table until Emily says we can...Sam's rule. The only people who can are Jacob, Sam, Leah, Kim, and...well...I guess you." Embry leaned down to whisper to me. I smirked and reached over, snatching a piece of bread out of one of the baskets before handing it to Embry.

"For you." I told him, smirking at Collin and Brady who were sitting diagonally from me.

"Not fair!" They complained making me laugh quietly. Embry smiled widely and took a big bite of the bread before offering me a bite. I shook my head no, still laughing slightly.

"Hey Kimmy, hit any trees or people on the way here?" Paul asked, looping her around the waist and pulling her onto his lap as she walked into the kitchen. She squeaked in surprise before sending a weak glare at him.

"No. My driving skills have improved greatly." She insisted, trying her best to squirm out of his grip unsuccessfully. He let out a loud laugh and shook his head.

"Okay, here's the deal. You get me some food and I'll let you go." Paul whispered. I could hear him perfectly clear though, which meant everyone else probably could too. She snorted and rolled her eyes.

"No way." She responded. "Unwritten girl slash imprint code, don't feed the hungry wolves. Right, Leah?" Leah shoved the entire piece of bread in her mouth in a yes and licked her fingers obnoxiously in Quil's face.

"Oops." I muttered, glancing up at Embry who had just finished his bread, but he just looked happy as ever.

"Oh, Ariana, hi. I...um, didn't see you there." Kim said guiltily as if she had mentioned something she shouldn't have. Paul let her go and she came over to sit next to me. Jared obviously hadn't had time to explain I was no longer human and it would be nice to be around someone that wasn't worried I'd eat them. I perked up a little at the thought of getting to talk to her.

"Hi Kim." I said cheerfully enough. Jared walked out of the foyer at that moment and quickly grabbed Kim's hand, pulling her to sit in the exact opposite end of the table I was sitting at. Within a few seconds, Kim had forgotten about me as Jared told her how beautiful she looked and how he wanted to take her to the movies on Friday. I think he knew he had hurt my feelings badly because he glanced up and gave me the most sincere, apologetic expression. I couldn't really blame him though, I had bitten Embry and growled at Emily. I wouldn't want someone I love around me either.

"Does Kim know about the wolves?" I whispered to Embry. He hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.

"Yeah, she knows everything." He answered back. I studied her for a moment.

"Why does she get to know everything but I wasn't allowed to?" I wondered allowed. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that." I quickly added. You probably had to be seriously dating someone and be in love with them to be given permission to tell them.

"No, no, that's okay." He insisted. "I was actually going to tell you...really soon, I just wanted you to be ready to hear it. You've reacted well with all of this so you were probably better prepared than I thought…" I shrugged.

"Don't worry, I am panicking on the inside...a lot." I informed him. He rolled his eyes and pulled my chair as close to his as possible.

"Come on! Can't we eat! Hunger pains here!" Seth proclaimed, dramatically dropping into the seat that had been occupied by Leah. I glanced around the kitchen, _where had Leah gone?_ Sam walked back into the kitchen with Emily at his side. Her shirt was a little off center and her hair was messed up. Her and Sam must have been...um..._talking _in the foyer.

"As long as everyone is here." Emily answered Seth, patting him on the head as she walked by. Jacob came walking in from the living room with Leah at his heals. They were arguing about something.

"It's not healthy." She hissed.

"Leah. Drop it." He growled back. Whatever they were arguing about, she dropped and shrugged before an evil smirk came onto her face. She quickly flittered around Jake and took the seat on the other side of me that Jake was obviously about to sit in.

"Hey Ari." She said in a way to happy voice. She smiled wide at me but bared a little to much teeth to be considered friendly. I shrunk back slightly.

"Okay, you guys can eat." Emily finally said, probably feeling like she had made them wait long enough. Everyone dug in. I had seen them eat before but this was different, this was with all new werewolf eyes, and it was disgusting. I didn't get how they could eat that much. I put a big portion of salad on my plate, a little bit of spaghetti, and ripped half a piece of bread. I ate quietly, studying all of them. They were just all so loud, quite frankly it hurt my ears. I couldn't even focus fully on one conversation before someone else would say something, effectively distracting me.

"Oh, Ariana." Leah cooed in an extremely fake voice. "You should eat more than that." I looked down at my plate, I had eaten almost all of it which was a rather big meal for me. "Here you go, have some more." She insisted, putting a big helping of pasta on my plate. "Go ahead, **_eat it_**." I looked at her wide eyed.

"Leah!" Jake gasped at her. I lifted my shaky hand and took a few bites of the pasta, keeping my eyes down. She smirked at me and the table seemed to go quiet. "Leah!" Jake repeated with a more of a growl. "Ariana, you **_don't _**have to eat that." He quickly assured me and I immediately dropped the fork I had been using.

"Oh _come on_, _Jakey_, we were just having fun...I was officially welcoming her to the pack." Leah insisted. Every eye was on me and I didn't like this kind of attention. I pushed my chair away from the table and rushed out of the house through the backdoor. I clearly wasn't welcome within the pack or at dinner. It wasn't my fault, I didn't choose to phase. It was raining lightly outside but I didn't care. I stopped a little ways from the edge of the woods, staring into the forrest.

"WHAT THE FUCK, LEAH!" I could hear Jake, Embry, and Leah all fighting inside.

"She's not healthy, Jake, and you know it! You can practically see her ribs!" Leah defended.

"Go apologize."

"No."

"**_Go apologize._**"

I heard the back door open and I knew that Leah wasn't the only one who came outside. _Great. They just do everything together, don't they? _Leah sauntered up behind me.

"You don't have to apologize." I gritted out, clenching and unclenching my hands. She snorted and I could imagine her rolling her eyes.

"Well, actually, I kinda have to." She spat. "I am _so_, so _sorry._" Her voice was so sarcastic. I spun around and before I even registered what I was doing, had punched her in the face. I raised my hands to cover my mouth, gasping in surprise, and I heard a couple other gasps from the group. Leah looked shocked and from the corner of my eye I saw Embry start to head towards me but Jacob grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back.

"I am _so_, so _sorry._" I mimicked her earlier voice, unable to help myself. That made her really mad. She launched herself at me, tackling me to the ground. I did my best to squirm away from her but she was just as strong as me. She clawed at my face, her sharp nails digging into my skin. I managed to push on her hard enough to flip us over. I growled at her and pulled on her hair. _Hard._ Leah had short hair which made it even easier, because since I pulled closer to the scalp, it hurt more. She let out a shriek and managed to get her leg in between us before kicking me in the stomach and sending me backwards a few feet, effectively knocking the wind out of me.

I laid on my back, gasping for air as she stalked around me in a circle, ending up on the opposite side of me. She started towards me but I kicked my leg up and manage to get it high enough to kick her in the face. I quickly rolled onto my stomach before standing up. She was holding her jaw and shooting daggers at me. I could feel dry blood on my face and knew I would have some serious bruises on my stomach but this probably the most fun I had in a long time. I'd never really been in a fist fight, especially not one I had initiated. And if I had ever been in a fight I had _never _fought back.

"Jake! Make them stop!" Embry yelled, doing his best to pull away from Jacob. The alpha was watching us with mild amusement.

"**_No_**, they're fine. Not unless one of them phases...I want to see how much control Ariana has. It's remarkable she hasn't phased already." Jake mused. In the second I had lost my focus, Leah and been able to get to the other side of me and pull me into a chokehold. She was still taller than me though she seemed to have shrunk...or maybe I grew? I did my best to gasp for air with no luck, but she probably didn't count on my knowing exactly how to get out of one of these. The key is not to pull away, it's to step into the fight, towards your attacker. I stepped backwards stomping on her foot as hard as I could. It wasn't super effective since we were both barefoot but she let out a yelp and was distracted long enough for me to pull my right arm up and elbow her in the stomach with all my strength. She let go of my neck and stumbled backwards, gasping for air. I spun around and grabbed her left arm, swinging her forward then pushing her to the ground. I quickly straddled her back before pushing her face into the quickly forming mud from the rain that had started to pick up.

"EAT DIRT LEAH! FUCKING EAT THE MUD AND ENJOY IT! ENJOY IT!" I screeched, pushing her face back into the mud. "GO AHEAD, _EAT IT_!" I lifted her head back up by her hair and she gasped, spitting mud out but I was on a roll and couldn't resist pushing her face back into the mud once more. "HERE YOU GO, HAVE SOME MORE!" I insisted, repeating her words she had said to me inside. She managed to catch my left leg with her left hand and dig her nails into me. I screeched in pain and let go of her hair to get her hand off of me but she took advantage and pushed me backwards. She didn't attack right away though, just kneeled there spitting mud out of her mouth. Maybe I had gone a little too far but I felt it was necessary.

I pushed myself into a predatory crouch and after Leah finished wiping her mouth, she matched me. I reached to the ground, dipping my pointer fingers in some of the fresh mud before reaching up to put streaks under my eyes.

"You know, we could totally be ninja wolf warriors." I blurted out. She froze for a second looking at me before reaching down and mimicking me with putting mud under her eyes. I couldn't help myself, I burst into a round of giggles and after a few seconds she started laughing too. I fell backwards to sit on my but, cracking up. _Did that seriously just happen?_ I leaned forward crawling over to where she was sitting.

"Wanna see something funny?" I whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. She smirked and nodded her head. I picked up some of the mud and packed it together in my hands before getting up and offering her my free hand to help her to her feet. She accepted and we both started back towards the group who looked mildly confused and scared. Embry looked panic stricken and probably thought I was going towards him until I walked right by him, towards Jared.

"Jared?" I breathed out. "I forgive you for not getting me coffee today." I smiled sweetly at him before pushing the mud right in his face. Leah burst into laughter from her spot a few paces behind me and everyone else held there breath. Jared looked absolutely furious and ready to attack anyone who dared to laugh...then Kim let out a snort. He shifted his attention to her and he must have looked so ridiculous with mud all over his face because she broke into laughter along with Leah and me.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" He growled playfully. He reached down and swiped mud onto his hand before streaking it across the side of her face. She stopped laughing for a second before scooping up her own mud and throwing it at him.

"Hey Sam!" Leah called. "Remember how you broke my heart then banged my best friend? Well, _I totally forgive you_!" She announced hitting him in the face with a large pile of mud, so hard that it pushed him backwards and he fell. Emily screeched in surprise before joining in throwing mud at Sam.

I spun around the find Embry but he had already found me and smeared mud across my chest. I gasped, wiping mud across his face. He growled sexily at me, catching me around the waist and pressing me against him. He rubbed mud across my forehead and into my hair. I smirked and leaned up to press my lip to his when something cold and slimy hit me in the back. I pulled out of Embry's arms and saw Collin standing a few feet away with another mud ball ready to throw. _Oh it's on._

Let the mud fight of 2011 commence.

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><p><strong>Okay, I have never written any type of fight scene before but I had this idea and was SO excited about it. I hope it was okay and made you guys laugh. Also, you guys got some cutesy Embry and Ari in there.<strong>

**And remember, my next story in this world will be coming out before Christmas so look forward to that. Seth here will get a girl! (P.S. She was mentioned in this story already, just in passing, but still...everything ties together so perfectly, doesn't it? Gold star if anyone knows where she was mentioned.)**


	20. Aftermath&Talking

**NEW STORY! I posted the second story in this series, 2 is Better, a few days ago. It is a Seth/OC story that takes place directly after Mirrors. It will overlap with the last chapter of Mirrors (two chapters away!) and will still have plenty of Ari and Embry in it. It will also kinda continue their story, so if you want to keep up with them you should check it out! **

**The second chapter of that story will be going up tomorrow.**

**Enjoy this chapter of Mirrors and remember to review!**

**ALSO: You guys definitely owe me for posting because my cat attacked me today and cut up my left hand with some deep cuts, making it very hard to type, but I did. Just for you guys. Lots of Love.(:**

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><p>"Your mom's already at work, right?" Jake asked Embry. The mud fight had finally died down and I was slumped against Embry's side, sitting on the back steps. Emily had refused to let anyone back in the house and, of course, Sam had seconded that. Kim had started shivering so Jared was quick to take her home and Leah had given me a stiff nod before sneaking away. A few of the others had melted into the trees and a couple were still mingling about the Uley backyard.<p>

"Um, yeah. She should be." Embry answered, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion. I let my eyes flutter closed as the rain continued to drip down my face. It had washed off a lot of the mud and now I was just soaked...and tired. Very, very tired.

"Good. I want her to stay at your house tonight and tomorrow morning...I don't want her going home." He stated. My eyes popped open. _Why? _"I'll bring by some stuff for her tomorrow morning but I just want her at your house." He insisted. He glanced at me but ignored the confused look I was giving him. Not that I really minded though...I was perfectly fine being with Embry anywhere.

"I um...okay." He answered, glancing down at me. I cuddled a little closer to him and got lost in his eyes for a second. It was so cheesy and I wanted to hate myself for thinking those stupid thoughts but I couldn't help it. Jacob cleared his throat and Embry looked away from me. "I get it, Jake, she won't go home and I won't leave her alone." Jake sighed before nodding his head.

"I just...just be careful, okay?" He said softly. "I think you've kinda leveled her out by...you know...but it's just new and we don't know what might set her off and you can't trust the..._you know_...to keep her calm. I've never heard of double...um...you know...and for all we know it affects her differently. I mean, has there ever even been a female-"

"Jake. I get it. _You know._" Embry hissed. Well, _I _didn't get it. "Come on, Honey, you look like you could use a shower." He said sweetly, standing up and pulling me with him. My hair was matted with mud and I still had a little bit of dried blood on my face which was just plain gross.

"You look like _you _could use a shower." I stated, smirking up at him. He reached up and wiped some stray mud off the side of his face, chuckling.

"Yeah, probably." He mused. My eyes lit up. Maybe we could take a shower…together? I smiled up at him and his eyes darkened slightly. I wonder if he had the same idea as me? Jake sighed again and reached out to thump Embry on the shoulder.

"Be a good puppy, Ari, kay?" He asked. I glared at him for a moment and he broke into a goofy smile. I grabbed Embry's hand and pulled him towards the rode.

"I hope you get shot by a silver bullet, Jake!" I called over my shoulder.

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><p>Embry opened his unlocked front door a few minutes later. I felt bad for going inside when I was so soaked and dirty but I really wanted to be out of these wet clothes and in one of Embry's dry shirts. We both paused to listen for a moment, it was completely quiet meaning no one was home. Mrs. Call worked as a nurse in Forks and was working a twelve hour shift tonight, she wouldn't be home until early tomorrow morning. I sighed in content, we were finally alone and it was finally quiet.<p>

"Come on." I whispered, even though no one was home to hear me. I pulled him up the stairs after me and towards the bathroom. "You promised Jake you wouldn't leave me alone." I reminded him. He chuckled and pulled me close to him, walking me backwards into his upstairs bathroom.

"Well...that is true, wouldn't want to disobey the alpha…" He agreed, smirking. I reached out and turned the shower on, the steam quickly filling the bathroom. He leaned down and I quickly met him part way, pressing my lips to his. I hadn't kissed him since earlier today, before wolfing out, and I had been craving his lips on mine. I loved Embry's kisses and this one felt even more sweeter and passionate than usual, if that was even possible. We finally pulled apart and I leaned back against the door.

"I can't believe I'm a wolf. I can't believe you're a wolf." I said flatly. He shook his head and pulled his shirt over his mud covered head.

"I know what you mean...It's kinda surreal sometimes. It's not all bad though, I honestly don't think you'll fully hate it either." He promised. I nodded my head slowly and undressed as well. It felt good to get out of those clothes, someone obviously had never given Jared a basic fashion lesson before. He reached his hand out and pulled me into the shower with him after I was completely undressed. I could actually feel the dirt dripping off of me.

"How's your hand?" I asked, lifting up his other one. It wasn't bleeding at all anymore and was now just a scar.

"It's okay." He promised, pecking my lips. "It doesn't hurt and the scar should be gone by tomorrow." I nodded my head at his optimism.

"I know you don't want me to apologize but I really am so sorry. I promise I will never bite you again." I vowed. He shook his head, still smiling before tilting my head back and burrowing his nose my neck.

"You know, some biting is perfectly acceptable." He whispered playfully against my skin. I giggled as his breath tickled my neck but couldn't help the slight moan that I let out when he grazed his teeth against the part between my shoulder and neck. Note to self: Hickey's are on the yes list. He sucked on the skin before pulling back and licking the area where he had bit me. I had never been so turned on by a hickey before, it was something about the neck.

"Emb? Speaking of _you know, _what the hell was Jacob talking about earlier?" I breathed out, running my fingers through his wet hair to get any dirt out. He growled softly.

"We are _so not _talking about Jake while we are in the shower." He snapped. I rolled my eyes.

"No, seriously Emmy, I want to know."

"It doesn't matter right now...we'll talk later." I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself even closer against him before kissing him again. I wasn't going to forget but I was going to enjoy this shower. After all, I was quickly learning that showers with Embry were the best.

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><p>"You kinda have a collection of my clothes in here." I commented, walking back into his room. I pretended not to notice that he seemed very proud of this. "How does your mom feel about that?"<p>

"Yeah, she doesn't know about _that. _She works a lot so it's kinda my job to do laundry...she doesn't even realize." He explained. I nodded my head absently, grabbing a pair of my underwear from Embry's top drawer where my clothes were stashed.

"Does she...does she know about me?" I asked, pausing for a moment to look over at Embry. He was picking up his room a little, his towel still wrapped around his waist. He froze before turning to face me.

"Yeah, of course." He answered. "I told her how awesome you are." He paused for another moment. "Do you...do you want to meet her sometime?" He suggested. If it were anyone else I would all out refuse but I found myself wanting Embry to introduce me to his mom. I found myself wanting her to like me. I nodded my head enthusiastically and he didn't bother even trying to hide his surprise. I pulled on the underwear before fully unwrapping the plush yellow towel away from my body. I snatched one of his T-shirts from a stack on the desk and slipped it on.

"Thanks for everything, Embry. Really." I said, walking over to his bed and crawling to sit in the center of it. He pulled on a pair of boxers and shook his head.

"I hardly did anything." He mumbled, turning the light out. I blinked a few times to readjust to the darkness but found I could see just fine in the dark. _Right...wolf. _"I couldn't stop it from happening and I couldn't protect you." He whispered, climbing onto the bed. I made a sound of disapproval in my throat and reached towards him.

"Embry, it wasn't your job to protect me from that." I answered softly. I pushed him down on the bed and cuddled up next to him. He wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling my neck. "Really, I'm fine with everything. I'm actually really happy right now...happier then I've been in a while. I think everything will end up okay." I wasn't one to usually be very optimistic but I couldn't help my positive thinking around Embry.

"But it _is_ my job to protect you and that doesn't change the fact that I failed." He said brokenly. I sighed softly and rubbed his arm that was draped around my waist. We were quiet for a few minutes. This was nice and I hadn't felt this safe in a long time. It was just Embry and me, no one else to bother us. No one to look down upon me or yell or hurt me...because Embry wasn't like that. I stifled a yawn, I was so tired and still sore from phasing earlier.

"Embry? Is it okay with you if I love you?" I whispered softly.

"That's okay with me. Is it okay if I love you too?" He answered quietly. I nodded my head.

"Mhm, I suppose that's alright."

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes, I could already tell it was too early and that I could and should still be sleeping, by the light coming in through the window. The space next to me was empty. <em>Where was Embry?<em> I opened my mouth to call for him but the words got stuck in my throat when I heard the talking from downstairs.

"Yeah, Mom, I just really don't feel well." Embry promised. He even sounded a little sickly to me. For a moment I wondered if he was actually sick and was instantly nervous, but quickly remembered he would be 'babysitting' me today, as Jake put it. If he was babysitting then he wouldn't be able to go to school.

"Embry, you haven't played hooky in about a month...I thought you were over that stage." A woman's voice, I assumed was his mother's, answered.

"I just feel sick, Mom." Embry insisted. "I think I have a temperature." Of course he had a temperature, he was a wolf.

"You do feel a little warm…" She muttered. _Major understatement, wasn't she a nurse? _Did she really not care? If I didn't know Embry naturally ran a temperature of 108 then I would be panic-stricken. "Go back to bed." She added. "I'm heading up to bed too, I haven't slept so I expect you to be quiet. And when I get up, I better find you here either asleep or doing schoolwork."

"Yes, Ma'am." He replied making me smile. He added a cough on the end that even I didn't buy. Less than a minute later, he was opening the closed door. "Hey, Honey." He whispered, walking over and leaning down to kiss my lips lightly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good." I commented, yawning a little. "It would have been nice to wake up to you next to me, though." His grin widened a little and he flopped down on the bed beside me.

"Well, then I'll make sure I'm still in bed tomorrow when you wake up." He promised. _Tomorrow._ I don't know why, but the commitment about being there for me...even if it was just until tomorrow, made me overjoyed. I reached out and hugged him tightly. "Come on, let's go get breakfast." He suggested, hugging me back. I heard the sound of Mrs. Call's bedroom door shutting and nodded. Something about the possibility of being caught was so appealing. I jumped off the bed gracefully and pattered down the stairs after him. I couldn't help but notice how we made absolutely no sound.

"So, what's on the menu?" I asked.

"Hmm...well, I was thinking waffles and whip cream…" He trailed off and my eyes lit up. I nodded my head happily and followed him into the kitchen like a puppy.

"Can we have strawberries? I like strawberries." I reminded him. He nodded his head and pulled things out of cupboards and the fridge. I wasn't a very good cook but I liked watching Embry cook. I followed him from one thing to the next and he let me stir the batter, convinced I couldn't screw that up. I stuck my tongue out at that. I wasn't _that _cooking-disaster prone.

_Okay, I was._

I heard the steps and a quiet curse from the Alpha, as he almost fell on a recently frozen patch of ice, before I actually saw him. He came to the back door and waved through the glass to get our attention. Embry poured some of the batter in the waffle maker and I got up to greet Jake. I glanced at the locked door and smirked.

"Come on Ari!" He yelled through the glass. "I come bearing gifts." He pointed out. I noticed the Victoria Secret tote bag slung over his shoulder and couldn't help laughing a little. He looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Ariana." Embry called from the kitchen. "Let Jake in." He ruined all the fun. I unlocked the door and Jacob moved to step inside, smirking at me in victory. I slammed the sliding door shut on his foot making him let out a yelp like a dog that had their tail stepped on. This time I smiled in victory before walking backwards and letting him come all the way in the house. He glanced over me.

"I bring you clothes and a toothbrush and this is how you repay me?" He asked. I grinned wolfishly and sauntered over to him, grabbing the bag and prancing back towards the kitchen. "Go put some pants on, Ari!" He called, following me.

"Go put a shirt on." I commented. I was still wearing Embry's shirt but it went just pass my but so I thought it was okay. Jacob flexed his muscles.

"Nah, people love when I don't wear a shirt." He responded rather cockily. I blinked at his bare chest, not very interested. _I _liked when _Embry_ didn't wear a shirt.

"Embry? Do you like it when I don't wear pants?" I asked cheekily, dropping the bag on a chair and fishing through it. He nodded his head avidly. "Well, there you have it Jake." I answered. I grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste gratefully and headed into the downstairs bathroom to brush my teeth. He bared his teeth at me in a playful way as I walked past him and I went cross-eyed, making him chuckle.

I came back out of the bathroom a few minutes later and headed towards the kitchen. I could smell the waffles and they smelled amazing. I was hungrier than I should have been but I pushed that thought to the back of my mind because I was happy and I was with Embry and if I did the wrong thing, like throw up, he wasn't going to like me. Truthfully...the thought of that happening, the thought of Embry not liking me, hurt so much...too much for me to handle.

I went and stood next to Embry while he poured the last bit of batter in the maker. Jacob was eyeing the plate of waffles hungrily but Embry had them guarded. I smiled sweetly at Jake and deliberately ripped off a piece of waffle before putting it in my mouth.

"That's not fair!" He complained, throwing his arms up. "Why does she get waffles and I don't?" He was practically whining. _Aw, hungry alpha_. I smiled up at Embry who didn't look put off that I had taken a piece before I should have.

"Because I love her."

He said it very nonchalantly and my smile widened. I leaned up the short distance and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He loved me. And apparently love meant I had special privileges, one of them being that in the rock-paper-scissors-shoot game of life, Ariana trumped Alpha. _Always. _

"You know, Honey, I still haven't gotten to see you all she-wolfed out." Jake pointed outonce he realized he would, sadly, not be getting any waffles. I froze for a moment before slowly turning my head to look at Embry. _Did I really have to go poof and turn into a wolf again? _He had moved on to cutting strawberries up but stopped, putting down the knife and wrapping an arm around me in comfort. Jake studied me quietly.

"Jake." Embry whispered softly. "She doesn't have to phase right now, right?" Eventually Jacob shook his head slowly.

"No, not right now...not even today if she doesn't want to." He said. I let out a breath of air I had been holding. "But she does have to eat her breakfast and go shopping with you up in Port Angeles." I could do that.

"Shopping?" Embry asked while dishing out three plates of breakfast. Apparently Jake had earned breakfast by being nice to me.

"Yup, I went though her entire closet and she has hardly anything that would fit her." He explained. My face fell. "You're just too tall for the clothes." He quickly clarified. I continued to frown at him. We held a staring match until Embry put a plate in front of each of us with a large waffle on it. We both turned to look at him simultaneously but he ignored the look and pretended that what had just happened really didn't.

"So, up to Port Angeles?" Embry asked. Yes, Embry, new clothes because mine didn't fit me anymore.

"Yeah." Jacob answered slowly. "Your mom gave me this." He put a familiar dark blue credit card on the table and slid it over to me. I wonder what he said to her.

"Is she mad at me?" I asked, glancing away from the card and up at him. He shook his head.

"No…" He took another big bite of his waffle. "She seemed kinda sad." I kinda ignored him after that, continuing to pick at my waffle.

"You done Jake? I need to talk to Ari, we'll leave in a little bit to head up to Port Angeles." Embry said softly. He nodded his head before stuffing a big piece into his mouth.

"I think she can handle being around humans but if she starts to panic then no big deal, just head home and we'll try in a few days." Jacob reminded Embry. "You're doing real great, 'kay?" He turned his attention to me. I stared up at him blankly for a few seconds. "_Okay?_" Jake prodded. I nodded my head. "Good girl, now finish your breakfast."

I wasn't a dog. No matter what they said, I wasn't a dog. I sent him a glare and continued to nibble on my breakfast. I glanced up a few minutes later to find Jake gone and Embry just staring at me.

"Don't give me that look." He warned softly.

"What look?" I mumbled. He sent me a pointed stare.

"Come on." He urged, walking around to the other side of the counter. I glanced up at him blankly for a moment. "Come _on._" He repeated, giving my arm a light tug. I got up slowly and followed him up the stairs and into his room, only talking when he started pulling on the bottom of my shirt to take it off.

"I...I don't want to Embry." I found myself saying. I was still sore from phasing and my bones practically stretching within me. "I just...really don't right now." I didn't want to have sex with him right now, but if he really wanted to then I guess I would have to… He stopped for a moment and stared down at me.

"I wasn't...I wouldn't _ever_ make you do that and we don't _ever _have to do something you don't want… This is something different, just take off the shirt." He said quietly. I nodded and pulled the shirt over my head, feeling more naked and self-conscious in front of him now more than ever with just my underwear on. He stroked over my ribs and down my stomach. "I'm not going to say anything. You can tell me when your ready." I stayed frozen, quietly watching him.

"I don't want to."

"Yes, you do." He whispered back. I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest. But he was right, I did want to tell him. I wanted to tell him everything but what if he hated me for it. I didn't know what I would do if he left me or didn't want to be with me anymore. He deserved to know and should have been told a while ago but I just didn't want to...

"Embry…" I said brokenly. "Please don't make me." I could tell that he knew...he had figured it out, it was a miracle he hadn't figured it out sooner. But then again, we tend to block out and not believe what we really don't want to. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"Love you, Ariana, you know that." Like this morning, when he mentioned he loved me, it sent chills down my spine. It was weird knowing that someone cared and that someone _loved _me.

"I love you too, Embry, a lot." I responded quietly. He breathed out a shaky breath and kissed the top of my head again. It was better to tell him now, let him know what he was getting into. It would be easier to tell him now too, especially because I wasn't looking at him.

"I'm…" I stopped for a second. "I'm anorexic, Embry. I am really sorry." I couldn't resist defending myself though. "I mean, I don't think I have a problem or anything but Jake thinks I do." He stayed quiet for two long minutes but I just held onto him, waiting for him to push me away.

"Is that why you're with Jake a lot and the reason weird things happen sometimes?" He asked softly. I nodded my head. "I kinda thought something was wrong with your health but I hoped you weren't…I hoped you were fine..." He trailed off, sounding sad. "You are just so beautiful and you don't need to be because you're so perfect, in every way." Embry was sweet and he was nice and I hated that I wasn't good enough for him. I hated that I made so many mistakes, I always managed to screw up when it came to him.

"You don't hate me?" I asked.

"Of course not, you mean everything to me." I practically melted at that. Why would he say things like that? Was he just building me up to tear me down? No. Embry wouldn't do that.

"Stop saying things that make me love you so much." I whined quietly. He laughed softly against my neck.

"You know, Ari, you're gonna be okay. I'm going to make sure you're okay because I can't not have you end up okay._ You mean too much to me._" It was easily the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me.

"Embry." I choked out. "Don't ever leave me, please don't. I'll try really hard to be better and good. I promise."

"I know, Honey, I know." He answered. "I'm never going to leave you, I'd miss you way too much."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so I was gonna continue it and then have next chapter be the last chapter of this story but decided against that since I didn't get as high of a response for the last chapter (that was freakishly long). I didn't want to make it too long for you guys! So, it's up to you. Do you guys want one long chapter and have it be the final chapter or two chapters?<strong>

**Remember to check out 2 is Better!**

**XX.**


	21. Patience&Poofing

**For once, I have nothing to say up here... o_O**

* * *

><p>My hands were shaking the entire time. I didn't want to be here. I could wear Embry's shirts for the rest of my life for all I cared. Somehow I had managed to not phase and even get some clothes in the process. I liked shopping, I really did, but I just was not in the mood for it. Embry was a sweetheart though, trying to help me pick out things or telling me the he liked something. I even let him pick out a new underwear set for me because he was being such a good wolf-boy, which he was <em>very <em>happy about.

"Can we go home now?" I asked quietly. I was so fidgety and I was on the verge of completely loosing it.

"Shh." He mumbled kissing my forehead and tightening the arm he had around me. "You're doing great, Honey, we'll head to the car after grabbing something to eat." I whined softly, just wanting to go home now, even if I was hungry. And people were looking at us, at our tallness, at our tan-ness, at Embry's hotness. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all.

* * *

><p>Embry made me eat. And it sucked. And I just wanted to go home and cry. I think he understood that I wasn't in the mood to talk because he sat across from me at the little restaurant we went to and held my hand in silence. He ate his food while I nibbled on mine, in silence. We walked back to the car, my hand still in his, in silence. He drove home, me sitting in the passenger seat, in silence. And, when we pulled into his driveway, we sat there, in silence.<p>

"Hey. Ariana?" He called, breaking that silence. I glanced over at him. "I love you, ya know?" Oddly, that was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment and I couldn't help the breathy chuckle that came out of my mouth. I leaned across the seat and nuzzled his neck, breathing in his scent.

"Love you too, Emb." We climbed out of the car after a few minutes and headed back into his house. Listening quietly, I could hear his mother's gentle breathing, meaning she was still asleep up in her room. Embry flopped down the couch and flipped the television on. I quickly followed him, probably a little too fast for a human, and lifted his head up, sitting criss-cross on the couch and laying his head back in my lap. He turned on NCIS which always seemed to be playing on one channel or another, making me smile. I just ran my hands through his hair and watched the show calmly. It wasn't long before Embry had dozed off...it was probably good he was getting some sleep, I knew he had hardly slept last night, wanting to make sure I was okay. It was really sweet of him. It made me feel kind of bad he was with me when he could do so much better...but I didn't have the strength to tell him that for fear he would actually leave me.

"Oh! Hello, who are you?" I realized I had zoned out, staring at Embry and just massaging his scalp. I snapped out of my daze and stared wide eyed at the woman who had walked into the room. She had the same chocolatey-brown hair as Embry and looked to be in her mid-thirties.

"Oh, um…" I glanced down at Embry's sleeping form. It would be mean and selfish of me to wake him when he was so nice to me earlier. "...My name's Ariana. I'm...um...Embry's girlfriend." Her eyes flashed in understanding briefly.

"Why aren't you in school? Embry's sick you know."

"I had a free last so I got to leave early...I wanted to see him." I hoped that was an acceptable answer. She smiled softly and glanced over at Embry's sleeping form.

"How about I make us some tea?" The way she said it was more like a statement, not a question. I had no choice but to quietly maneuver myself away from Embry and follow Miss. Call into the kitchen. "Embry's mentioned you a few times but said I wasn't allowed to meet you." She said as she put a kettle on the stove for the water to boil.

"I think he thought I didn't want to meet you...I tend not to make very good impressions on people." I told her honestly. She blinked a few times before a small smile spread across her face.

"Well, you seem to have made a good impression on Embry." She observed. I shrugged.

"I'm still trying to figure that out." She smiled softly and nodded her head. She turned the stove off and brought the hot kettle over, pouring water in two mugs and putting a tea bag in each one. I didn't like tea that much but this tea smelt...comforting.

"You know, I don't make very good first impressions either." She stated. "Most people already have a preexisting idea of who I am and just think I am some slut." I was a little surprised at her bluntness but didn't give her any sympathy because, in my experience, most of the time people didn't want sympathy or pity. They wanted reality.

"Well, they have grey hair and wrinkles, and you don't." I stated. A grin spread across her face and she took a sip of her tea. He nose scrunched up slightly but she gulped the tea down and placed the cup back on the counter.

"And the gang that Embry's in...you are a member as well?" She inquired.

"Yup!" I held back from adding that my membership was made official yesterday. Her eyes widened slightly at how forward I was. I took a sip of the tea and winced, it didn't taste as comforting as it smelt.

"So you admit it's a gang?"

"Of course...isn't it obvious? But it's not a bad gang. It's a good gang. They all really care about each other. It's more of a best friend gang, that's the best kind of gang you know. Because there is no doubt in my mind that any one of them, including myself, would jump in front of a vampire for Embry. Isn't that the type of people you want to surround you? Loyal ones that will always be there?" I stared at her for a moment and forced some more tea down my throat. She took a sip as well and made an incredibly disgusted face, before spitting the tea into the sink.

"I hate tea." She stated, pouring the rest of the cup down the drain. I sighed in relief and pushed mine towards her.

"Thank God, me too."

"I just thought it seemed like a good thing for a mother-meets-the-girlfriend talk." She defended. I smirked.

"How about you just tell me never to hurt him and I agree?" I suggested. She let out a loud laugh that woke Embry up. "Because I wont, I promise." I added quietly. I could feel Embry's confusion as to where I was before he shot up from the couch and came into the kitchen. Once his eyes locked on mine and he realized that I hadn't run away or wolfed out, he relaxed. He walked slowly into the kitchen, coming to stand behind me, one of his large hands resting on my waist.

"What's going on?" He asked suspiciously. He shot me a worried look but I just smiled up at him.

"Well, you were right about one thing, she does _not_ make good first impressions." Miss. Call stated. I frowned slightly, I thought I had been doing well. "She confirmed you were in a gang, insulted my tea, then told me she would jump in front of a vampire for you. Good thing she's pretty." She shook her head slightly and Embry sent a concerned glance downwards at me. Ms. Call made me sound horrible when she put it that way but she continued to smile.

"Yeah, we're working on that." Embry deadpanned.

"Well, I have to get ready for a date. Will you be home when I get back?" She asked Embry. His eyes slid over to me.

"Uh, I was gonna go over to Jake's for dinner...I might end up just staying there." It was a shame he had to lie to her and from what I heard, she didn't take him not being home well.

"Okay, have fun then." Embry looked incredibly confused for a moment. She glanced over at me. "It was very nice meeting you Ariana. I expect you to keep your promise." I nodded my head.

"Of course, Miss. Call."

"Call me Tiffany, Miss. Call has grey hair and wrinkles." She winked before sauntering out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"I think she likes me."

* * *

><p>"I don't want to play, Embry." I whined, moving to lean forward for the third time. He chuckled and placed his hands on top of my knees, keeping me in place. I pouted and attempted to lean forward again so I could kiss him.<p>

"Only if you win." He insisted. I growled in frustration, I didn't want to play a game, I wanted a kiss. We had snuck into my house a little while ago while my mom was in the television room. We hadn't really meant to snuck in, it just kind of worked out that way. It was probably better it had too, I wasn't in the mood for small talk. I didn't think I could handle more than one human per day right now, Tiffany Call had worn me out.

We were now sitting on my bed, facing each other, both of us sitting criss-cross, and our knees pressed up against the others. Embry liked to play games, he was fun in that sense. But sometimes, all I really wanted to do was kiss him. Like right now for example, I wasn't interested in having a staring contest...I wanted to maul him until he saw stars...or at least I saw stars, either way.

He was way more controlled and patient than me, I'd give him that. He seemed like he could sit there forever and just stare into my eyes. I made a whining noise and leaned forward _again_, only to be stopped _again_.

"Being impatient. It's so...human." His voice was just above a whisper and it made me stop in my conquest for kisses to think. It was human because I was human. I was still a human even if I went poof and turned into a wolf. I shut my eyes for five seconds before opening them again and staring into his, staying perfectly still. After two minutes of the staring contest, he slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.

I was impatient. I was human. But there was also a part of me that wasn't human. I was both. But that was okay. I could be both.

And get some kisses out of it.

* * *

><p>"You are more than just my girlfriend." Embry started. I smiled, that meant I was important, right? I nodded my head and his expression softened even more, if that was possible. We had finished our make-out session and were sitting back in the position we had before, our knees touching. "You're my...imprint."<p>

"Imprint." I repeated, mulling the word over. I wasn't really sure what that meant. To imprint is to mark...it sounded like an intense hickey to me. "Are you my imprint?" I asked.

"Yes." He answered immediately before his brow creased together. "Actually...I'm not sure, but I think so." I nodded my head in understanding before leaning forward, wanting to kiss him again. He stopped me.

"This is a supernatural thing, which means you must have patience." He chided. I pouted, but sat back and looked up at him. "Imprinting means I love you and that I am never, ever going to leave you. Ever." He explained. "_Ever, ever, ever._"

"Okay." I answered, smiling at him.

"It means that you are important to me and I that I will anything you need me to do and give you whatever you want."

"I _want _a kiss." I clarified. He chuckled and leaned forward, giving me a chaste kiss.

"Do you get it?" He asked after pulling back. I wanted to tell him yes since this seemed very important to him but that would be a half-lie so I just shrugged. "After we phase-"

"-poof." I corrected. He sighed.

"After we _poof, _we have the ability to imprint."

"You have the ability to find some you love and don't want to leave?" I asked, showing him that I was paying attention. He smiled and nodded his head.

"Yup." He said. "And it's finding someone who is perfect for you, who is your soulmate."

"You think I'm perfect?" I asked.

"Absolutely."

"I think your perfect too." I stated. He gave me a small smile.

"And Kim is Jared's imprint, and Emily is Sam's imprint. You get it?" He asked. I could tell this was very important to him so I did my best to pay attention to what he was saying and grasp it the best I could. I thought imprinting sounded...nice. It sounded like a relationship where you never got your heart broken and you never got hurt. It sounded like a pretty good relationship to me.

"And I'm your imprint and you're my imprint." I added. He nodded his head and took both my hands in his.

"You're okay with this, right?" He asked. I yawned and nodded my head, leaning forward and pushing him back on the bed. He let himself fall backwards and wrapped his arms around me, letting me cuddle into his side. I buried my face in his neck and breathed in his scent steadily.

Tomorrow would be a good day.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that week.<strong>

"I don't think I can."

"Of course you can."

"I don't think I want to."

"It's not so bad, promise."

I kept my eyes fixed on my bare feet. A normal person wouldn't be outside with hardly any clothes on in weather like this. But it had been established that I wasn't normal.

"_Ariana_." I glanced up into his chocolaty eyes.

"Yes?"

"Try? For me, please?" He asked. I couldn't say no to that… I sighed and nodded my head.

"I have to think of something bad, don't I?" I said glumly. "Something that makes me mad?" That wasn't really a problem, I had plenty of things and memories that made me mad, scared, and feel bad...some that even made me feel all three at once. I just didn't want to think of them.

"Yeah." He sounded so apologetic but I just nodded my head, shut my eyes, and stepped back from him. I pulled off the simple cotton dress I had thrown on, not even feeling the icy chill pass over me. I learned early on that nakedness was a part of the pack and that I would probably see a little more than I would want to of some of the other guys, not that I minded seeing Embry though. I didn't mind _at all_.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to think of to make me phase. I decided that staying in the present was probably the best idea, so I thought about biting Embry earlier that week. I thought about how how I had caused him harm and how the blood had flowed from his hand. I thought about _just how fucked up I truly was_. I could feel the vibrations coursing through me before I fell forward onto the ground. When I opened my eyes, I could see through new werewolf eyes. Embry pulled his sweatpants off and easily phased, landing a few feet away from me. I jumped back in surprise.

It wasn't that I wasn't expecting it to happen or something like that...it was just hard to picture my Embry turning into a wolf. But there he was. Grey with black spots that blended into his fur. He was beautiful.

_Thank you._

I jumped again and I could hear Embry's distinct chuckled echoing throughout my mind. That was going to take some getting used to… A lot of getting used to.

_Aw, it's not so bad, baby._

I snapped my teeth at him playfully before stumbling towards him awkwardly on four legs. I tripped, falling onto my stomach.

_I'm done, I don't want to be a wolf anymore._ He laughed again and walked over to me, nuzzling the top of my head. I had to admit, it felt good, and a slight purring sound might have come out of my throat.

_It's not so bad, ya know, once you learn to walk. How's the view from down there, Ri's? _He asked. I growled and sprung up from the ground before pouncing on him playfully. He let us roll backwards and easily pinned me to the ground with his paws. I let out a huff.

_Not. Fair._ I squirmed under him and he gave me a wolfish grin before letting me up. I staggered to my feet..._paws_...feet and stretched my aching limbs. As much as phasing for the first time had hurt, this time felt a little better. And I had to admit that it felt good to be wolf, it felt right. I turned on Embry before the thought had even registered in my mind and caught him off guard, tackling him to the ground again. This time I managed to pin him, but he might have let me… I liked to think that I had tackled him on my own though.

He squirmed underneath me and I jumped off him, licking my paws and grooming my fur that was probably a little to long. I couldn't bear to cut my hair though. I had already buried all of the scissors from my house in the backyard and I planned to start on Embry's house later today.

_No one will make you cut your hair, Ari, promise_. He comforted. I saw his viewpoint from what I looked like when Jake found me locked in the bathroom, hoarding all the scissors and crying hysterically. I made a whining sound and dipped my head. He blocked the thought from me. _Don't worry, Honey. _He trotted up to me and bumped his side against mine. I made another whining sound and rubbed my head up against his side. I realized in that moment just how big he was. I was big but he was much larger than me. I looked like a baby puppy next to him. He nuzzled the top of my head before jogging a little ways from me.

_Where are you going? _I asked quickly, jumping to keep up with him.

_Come on, we need to see just how fast you are. _He said, starting to move through the trees.

_Fast? You think I'm fast?_ I asked, picking up speed to keep up with him.

_All wolves are fast, but I bet you're very fast. _I ran faster and faster, not taking my eyes off of Embry's form. I followed his swift movements and kept pace easily, until he started getting further and further away from me as I ran faster and faster. _Ari. Ari! Stop, Ariana._ He called with a slight undertone of panic. I dug my heals into the ground to stop myself and ended up flipping over and landing on my stomach.

_Oof._

_Are you okay? _Embry asked, rushing over to me. I realized why he had told me to stop. I perked my head up and saw the road that laid a few yards from me. I recognized it as the route that led towards Seattle.

_Oops._

_Yeah, oops, it's okay though. You stopped. _A shiny gray pissat zoomed by with a La Push High Spartan bumper sticker.

_Sorry. _I apologized.

It's_ okay, I should have been paying closer attention_. He explained. _It's just that, you're so calm when you are a wolf...it's very relaxing._ I knew he didn't mean it in a bad way but I still felt the need to apologize. I was a mess and that was carrying over to Embry. _No, no! I'm happy when you're happy...I like when you're happy. _He insisted. I made a soft whining sound, I was sorry. I really, really was. _Come on, let's go. It'll rain soon and I am not sleeping with a smelly wolf._

_Embry! _I jumped up and took off after him as he ran back towards our original spot in the woods.

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><p><strong>The next chapter is the final chapter in this story! *SOB* It has been awesome writing this and I am very upset it is ending, since I haven't finished a story on here yet. If it weren't for 2 is Better, I would probably be a freaking mess right now. If you haven't already, please do check out Seth's story. The second chapter takes place during the last chapter of this story...and there might be a scene where Ariana loses it in the hallway on a Mr. Graham (no relation to cracker). It does continue on with Ari and Embry's story so if you are bummed about this coming to a close then I highly recommend it.(:<strong>

**Anyway, you guys rock, the last chapter will be out in the next few weeks...I have midterms coming up so bear with me on updating all my stories!**

**XX. Cassy**

**(OH! And bonus points if you know whose shiny grey pissat that was and who was driving it!)**


	22. Natalie&Mirrors

**Last chapter! It's very short, I know, it's more of a mini-epilogue. It overlaps with chapter 2 of the third story in this series, 2 is Better. I probably should have just had it in the last chapter… Oh well, one more little Ariana chapter for you! Please check out the Authors-Note at the end of this story! **

**Oh, and next chapter of Break You Hard will be up tonight or tomorrow!**

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><p>"I don't have to go to school." I said, following Jake down the stairs. He sighed and shook his head. I followed him as he walked through my house. I stayed out of school for almost a week but Jacob told me had to go back. I was fine being with Embry and doing nothing, but I knew I couldn't stay away from school forever. And neither could Embry, we had already missed so much.<p>

"Yes you do." Jake said, putting four waffles in the toaster and my favorite type of coffee in my Keurig coffee maker.

"I know." He sent me a smile and I rolled my eyes. I sipped on my coffee and waited until the toaster popped. He pulled the four waffles out and placed them on a plate before pushing the plate towards me and putting the bottle of syrup next to it. He gave me a look before turning and making himself some coffee. I ignored the syrup and picked at the waffles, managing to eat almost three of them.

"Is Embry almost ready?" Jake asked, leaning back against my counter. I nodded my head. "Ya know, usually sleepovers are not allowed by parents…" He smirked.

"Well, Jake, we do more than sleep. Pinky promise." I said sweetly, eating a little more of my breakfast when Jake glanced pointedly at it. He got a disgusted look and his face. I laughed quietly and pushed the last waffle away from me. He didn't fight me on it either, for which I was grateful. Embry finally came down the stairs, freshly showered and dressed. He walked right over to me, kissing the top of my head and grabbing the bag of bagels from the counter. He popped one into the toaster before grabbing one uncooked one and bitting into it.

"Excited, Ari?" He asked. I shrugged and push my plate away. I wasn't extremely excited to go back to school, but it would be nice to get back into the flow of things. It would be nice for things to be normal again.

I also wanted to go back to school because the current record for days out of school was seven by Jacob. I had been out six days. I couldn't let Jake win.

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><p>High schoolers like to talk. And gossip. And make up rumors.<p>

High school students suck.

They think they know everything, but really, that's just teenagers in general. We all think that nothing can bring us down, that we will never fail. But we do. All the time. We fail and to make ourselves feel better, we focus on someone else's tragic flaws. We focus on what they have done wrong, what we hope they have done wrong, and what they will do wrong in the future.

It's unfair. Because, for the record, I'm not on drugs, I wasn't getting an abortion while I was away, and I didn't decide to become a lesbian with Leah Clearwater. None of that happened. I sat in my room in Embry's arms, crying, and I ran as a wolf. The truth is so far from what silly high schoolers think happened.

I think it is hard to be mad at someone unless you know their whole story.

That might sound really ironic coming from me because I am so mean to everyone, but I'm trying, real hard. And while I am hearing Spencer Seneca tell her friend Dakota Pondelik that I'm slut, I remember that Spencer's mother drinks herself to sleep. I remind myself that when I was with Embry picking pizza up to bring to Sam's yesterday, she was already out cold with a martini glass in her hand at four o'clock.

Or when I hear Naomi Ralph tell Danielle Monamy that I was actually carrying twins, I remind myself that when I was running patrols two nights ago, I happened to pass by her house and hear her parents screaming at each other about getting a divorce and hating each other.

And when I see Seth Clearwater staring at Natalie Khan, I remind myself not to make fun of him because he still very upset about a squirrel he found in the woods that died.

It's hard to judge others.

Except when you are doing it to make yourself feel better, then it seems to be almost second nature.

It really is a shame.

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><p>"You almost hit me with your car yesterday morning." I told Natalie Khan as she walked into English class.<p>

"...Sorry…"

"It's okay, I almost ran into the road...we can both take the blame on this one." I assured her, nodding my head encouragingly. She bit her lip and gave me a stiff nod before looking towards the front of the room. _Weird_. I turn to look at Jacob and he sends me a glare. "What?" I ask. I thought I was being nice. He glances over at Natalie and I can tell even he is a little confused.

The thing is, everyday when Natalie walks into the English room, she always glances over at Jake, smiles, and then proceeds to flirt with him. I may not have been at school for a week, but I can't imagine something changing in Natalie to make her not want to flirt with Jake. Jake seems a little off that she isn't flirting with him either. I know Jacob doesn't love her or anything but I know he likes flirting with her. _Doesn't she know I am trying to make my life as normal as possible? Doesn't she know that normal for me is her flirting with Jake?_

"Um, Natalie, hi, yeah. Flirt with Jake, please." I chirp cheerfully. She turns to look at me wide eyed, her face turning pink. I smile nicely at her. She seems much more timid then I remember.

"Ariana." Jacob hisses.

"I'm trying to make things normal, you told me to act normal." I explain to him, giving him a confused look.

"Sorry, Nat, you know how she's been sick...guess she's still not fully over it." Jake chuckles nervously and Natalie's face looks confused for a second before she smooths it out.

"I-it's okay." She stutters. She slides her glance over to Jake and gives him a once over, I practically die laughing when she doesn't look very impressed. This is possibly the best English class ever. And Jake looks so bummed out, I pull on his sleeve to get his attention.

"Did you see that? Did you?" I whisper laugh as she turns her attention to the front of the room. He gives me a look that shows me he is not amused and turns to glare down at his book.

"I am giving you this class today to continue reading your assigned book, remember you have a paper due tomorrow on the first three sections. There is also a quiz later this week on the material." Mr. Sanford tells us. Free period, sweet.

"Um, what book are we reading?" I hear Natalie whisper to the girl next to her, Jessica - the one with the cute shoes. I cock my head to the side, even _I _know what book we are reading. _Is she that stupid?_ Jessica gives her a look, much like the one Jake gave me, she is not amused at all.

"Of Mice and Men, duh." She snaps. Natalie shrinks back slightly and fumbles through her large purse. I hear her sigh in relief when she pulls the book out of the bag. I know Jake heard her because his brow is furrowed together, but he just stares down at his book. I reach out and before Jacob can stop me, I pull on the end of her long hair.

"Ow!" She hisses, turning to me. I smile wolfishly at her.

"Can you explain to me whats happening in this book?" I ask. She smooths out her hair and glances down at he copy. It's opened to page one.

"I...uh...am not sure." She admits.

"Where did you get your jacket? I like it." I tell her, tugging on the material. She fidgets nervously.

"Thanks, I'm not sure, I don't remember." She says quietly.

_Interesting._ I think. I had never really talked to Natalie but I found myself wanting to get to know her, I was curious, she had something that pulled me to her...just like Kim.

"Now you decide you want to make friends." Jake grumbled under his breath. I turn and nodded my head at him.

"Jake? Do you have an imprint?" I asked. His eyes widened slightly and he _'shh-ed'_ me. _Oops_, I wasn't supposed to talk about wolf-things with humans around. I gave him an apologetic look. I just forget sometimes, no big deal.

"It's okay, just ah, be careful." He insisted. "No, no I don't have one." I nodded my head and mulled over the information. Maybe I could find him one. He deserved to be as happy as Embry and me, especially after how nice he has been to both of us.

"Hey, Natalie." I whisper, pulling her hair again. "Want to be Jake's soulmate?"

"Ariana!" Jake gasps.

"What?" I ask not turning away from Natalie's shocked and red face.

"Uh, um, I'm oh-okay. Thanks for the offer?" She manages to get out. Jessica snickers from besides her and I send the girl with the cute shoes a glare, making her shut up.

"Aw, but Natalie, he's super loyal and you can play fetch with him and he has a big-"

"I swear to God, Ariana, if you finish that sentence with anything inappropriate, I am going to order Embry to not see you for the rest of the day." Jacob hisses at me.

"-_heart._" I look at her expectantly and she glanced over at Jake.

"Is she, ah, alright?" Natalie asks, nodding her head towards me.

"Nope."

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><p><em>"Turning the lights out<em>

_Burning the candles_

_ And the mirror's gonna fall tonight._

_Sweetheart, I'm the boss."_

_- Mirrors, Natalia Kills_

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><p><strong>This is the first story I have finished, even though I started Wonderland first, I haven't finished it yet, so this is a big deal!<strong>

**I can't give up Embry and Ariana forever so I am adding them in with 2 is Better. I really encourage you to read it if you haven't checked it out yet. I also have decided to make Break You Hard (My Kim and Jared One-Shot) into a full story. It is a prequel to Mirrors/2 is Better. It will also have a background on Ariana and some parts with her before she came to La Push so if you want to check that out, that would be awesome!**

**Lastly, thank you for everyone who reviewed, alerted, favorited, and has messaged me about this story. I have talked to so many amazing people throughout the course of writing this but this story has definitely run this course. I also wanted to end it on a happy note and those of you reading Seth's story know that she is not fully alright. Her story is not over, I would be able to abandon her!**

**Again, thank you everyone for all your support….I'm gonna go cry in a corner now. Later.**

**XX. Cass**


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